Vampire Hunter D: The Other World
by pjeramie
Summary: A young woman from the 21st century is abducted and sent in another universe, ten thousand years in the future. She's in a race for her life as a powerful race called the Nobility wants her dead however a mysterious force threatens not only her life but her very soul. With no one else to turn to, only one can help her, a vampire hunter known only as D.
1. Prologue

Hello! I've always been a fan of Vampire Hunter D and it's the first time that I have written a fanfiction. English isn't my

native language so feel free to let me know if there's anything I should improve.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Vampire Hunter D and some of the characters here. But the main characters are my own.

**Vampire Hunter D: The Other World**

**Prologue**

I'm not usually fond of keeping diaries just to write things that would happen everyday.

But what's happening now is an exception...

I'm not sure at first if writing my experience would do any good but it seemed to calm my nerves a bit.

And If I don't write it I think I would seriously go crazy.

I'm writing this down in a small notepad that a strange man named Evan Chaste gave to me.

Believe or not he's an alien, an extraterrestrial disguising as a human.

Me and the others have been hiding for hours now, trying to get away from the Barbarois.

I didn't know what a Barboroi was until the very handsome Vampire Hunter D told me they were a race of mutant humans that resulted from the radiation of the Great War thousands of years ago.

Thankfully I could easily keep track with all these weird history lessons...

Vampire Hunter D? Yeah we'll get to him...

I think it's been a week since I've woken up to this world. I call it the VHD world, short for vampire hunter d, since D is a huge legend around here and my only hope at almost everything...

And yes, I am not from this world.

Evan told me that I was abducted by them and while crossing one dimension to another, they conducted experiments on me and others wherein they fused their DNA within me in an effort to save their race from extinction.

Unlicky their ship got blown to bits when it crossed the territory of the Nobility...Vampires.

Yup I'm serious... The blood sucking creatures that you've seen and read about. But they're not just vampires from the media and you'll know why they are called the Nobility...

First thing first, let me explain how I got here.

It started on the day I died..

Well almost died or else I wouldn't be writing this...

It was on a cold night in December. It was just past seven in the evening when I arrived at the airport on a taxi. These past months there have been news of ships and planes that have suddenly disappeared alerting governments from different nations of the world. Even with that scary thought on my mind I was still doubtful of the existence of aliens blaming the disappearances on terrorists or the bermuda triangle.

After unloading my baggages and paying the cab driver, I felt a strong and cold wind blew. I held my jacket together and looked up at the sky, where a large group of gray clouds have formed. I thought it was strange for I've never heard of any incomming storm and it was very sunny when I left my apartment fifteen minutes ago.

"Ouch!"

Something had gotten inside my right eye, interrupting me from my thoughts. Covering it with one hand, I grabbed my bag and ran towards the nearest ladies room and washed it down with running water.

With my face still soaking wet, I looked up at the mirror to check my eye. It was a little red from all the rubbing but was thankfully fine. Still I could feel something COLD slithering down from my right eye to the side of my head. I knew something was wrong but I was interrupted by the the last call to my flight thus, I hurried out of the ladies room.

**20 minutes later...**

I woke up with a start from my sleep by a sudden and violent jolt inside the plane.

"Excuse me miss. Can you tell me what's going on?" I asked a stewardess who was passing by my seat.

"It's alright miss, we've just hit turbulance. Please sit tight and secure your seatbelt." She was smilling when she said this, but it didn't help at the thought that I could possibly die of a plane crash.

A few minutes later, the jolt became even more violent. At the sound of the captain's announcement from the intercom, the stewardess' struggled to get near the cockpit and strapped themselves to safety as the turbulance grew .

"Ouch!"

There it was again, the stinging pain in my right eye.

_What is this stupid thing anyway?_

With great effort, I reached inside my bag and got a mirror. When I saw my reflection I froze.

My right eye was turning into a strange blue color and was glowing!

Putting down my mirror I tried to focuse my sight and saw with great relief that I wasn't going blind. Although what happened next was worse...

Have you ever ridden a roller coaster before? The scariest roller coaster ride you could ever remember? Minus the car and safety belt, just you and other people screaming at the top of your lungs with your guts violently tumbling as you get tossed around in the air thousands of feet from land or sea. That was what I felt after the front of the plane exploded and for some strange reason, even though most of us had been secured on our seats, we were ripped out of it and flew in the cold air like a bunch of ragged dolls with our limbs flailing.

I wanted to past out from fright. But being young unluckily kept me conscious and screaming in the air.

My senses weren't very clear amidst all the chaos and the night sky was very dark, but I think I saw something very huge like a mountain, a moving mountain.

It got closed enough that I noticed it's shape was circular and was emmitting hundreds of horizontal green lights piercing through the clouds like knife on paper. Turning night almost to day. Next thing I knew, I was flying with the others, flying towards that thing like an ant getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner and then everything went dark.

I thought I was dead...

I was wrong.


	2. Chapter 1 The Post Apocalyptic World

**Chapter 1: The Post-apocaplyptic World**

I didn't know what happened next after the plane crash. I was knocked out cold, almost in a coma.

Although I did have dreams, at least I thought they were dreams... I was staring at some large cavern with bright lights and although my vision was blurry I could still make out the thousands of white oval cocoons attached through every inch of the the walls and ceiling. It's like something you'd see in a beehive and wondered what kind of bizzare afterlife I arrived to.

Then I woke up.

In a hospital room, clean and sterile. I couldn't believe it! I was saved!

A little groggy at first, I forced myself to sit right up on bed. And even though my body was aching like I've been beaten almost to death, I still felt something tingling on my legs.

I looked down and was shocked for a moment. In a flash, both my legs emmited a bluish glow to reveal...

_how do i explain this... _

Something mechanical underneath my skin before it dissappeared and looked normal again. I moved my toes to see if they were okay, they were perfectly normal. And wondered if I was imagining things.

_Perhaps a side effect of drugs?_

I swung my slightly numb legs to the side of the bed and slowly walked towards the mirror in the comfort room, and like my legs, my reflection also surprised me.

I still had the same face, same light brown shoulderlenght hair except for the bluish highlights. Also my right eye had a bluish discoloration and plus I felt like I had grown tall...taller that it somehow made me feel lightheaded.

Something was not right.

With a slow and unsteady gait, I walked towards the door to go outisde . I stood there for a moment and was about to grab the doorknob when It suddenly opened and hit me square in the face.

Ten minutes later...

I' m now sitting in a lobby across a man in a labcoat and was in his forties with a grayish beard. He idenified himself as Dr. Langley. Sitting next to him is a younger man, probably an officer who wore a white shirt, gold star badge and cowboy hat. There was also an elderly nurse sittin in the reception area writing something while occasionally glancing towards our direction.

"I'm sincerely sorry about that my dear." The doctor apologized while giving me a nervous smile. "We had reports of disturbances on the third floor and I opened the wrong room."

I had an ice pack on my nose.

"What was the ruckuss about doc." The officer asked.

"Oh it was just old man Rick. He has this habit of stabbing other patients close to his room with a fork. It seems the hallucinative agents caused by the Crookers hasn't worn off." He chuckled.

"Ofcourse we have already sent him to the Capital for some proper treatment." The doctor quickly added seeing how shocked I was.

I can't believe that my room was next to some mentally unbalanced patient wit potentials for being a homicidal maniac. And what the hell is a Crooker anyway?

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Less than 24 hours, you were found last night." The doctor answered.

"What's your name?" the young officer suddenly ask.

I gave him my nickname.

"Uhmm it's... call me Janie."

"Pardon me Janie, but I'm Officer Gabi Miles. I would like to ask you a couple of questions regarding the masaccre that happened last night." He said while flipping his notebook.

"Wait! What? I don't know anything about a massacre! I was in a plane crash!"

Officer Miles looked up and turned to the doctor who also gave him a puzzled look.

"Hmm..." the officer said looking intently at me while tapping his chin with his index finger.

"Plane crash you say? Of what kind? Aerodynamics or Anti-gravity?"

_What the hell is he talking about?!_

"Where am I?" I suddenly asked.

"You're in Sunfort medical center, of Sunfort town, Sector 5 of the Southern frontier." Doctor Langley replied.

I was speechless.

"This isn't New York?"

"New what?" both of them asked.

"New York. Where are my things?" I asked again. I was starting to panic.

"If I could just get my cellphone and call my sister..." I said looking around.

Both men looked at each other.

"Actually..." it was Officer gab who spoke first. "When we found you, you had...well...nothing on."

I stopped and stared at him.

"You know.." he continued avoiding my gaze. "You were naked. Well not exactly, you were wrapped in this white glowing _cocoon thing_"

In a moment, I seemed to remember my strange dream.

"Now no need to worry about anything." Dr. Langley assured. "We checked you for any injuries and there were none."

"Miss Jane! Are you alright?" the young man asked as I struggeled to stand up with a pounding headache and went near the nurse's station where a stack of newpapers and magazine were neatly piled.

Grabbing one, I saw the headlines and almost fainted at what I read.

**Sept. 12, 12091 A.D. Sunfort Town Daily.**

_12091 A.D.?!_

I saw a miniature globe on the nurse's desk, the geography didn't look familiar. Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle they looked like they were reassambled and instead of being separate continents, it was fused into one huge continent and few big islands here and there.

I saw pictures and read words of people, places and things that I have never ever heard of before.

My head was suddenly swimming, and without warning, I ran towards the exit/entrance door of hospital and burst through outside.

"STOP!" I heard either of the two men called out.

Outside I found myself standing on top of the stairs leading to the entrance of the building wearing only my hospital gown and was barefooted. The bright and hot midday sun made my eyes hurt and had to use my hand to shield my eyes from the rays. Stepping down three steps and walking towards a small iron gate and through it I was in the sidewalk facing a dusty road. Towards each side stretched rows and rows of strange and diverse buildings. Most look like they were made of wood and old, like something you would see in western movies. Others were cemented and new they looked like huge boxes painted in bright colors with dark tinted glass windows. The people where also as diverse as the buildings. Some where dressed in old-fasioned clothes that looked like western or cowboy costumes. However some were dressed really close to the style from where I came from like the young people hanging out in a bar wearing jeans and rugged outfits.

I could have stood there for a moment and then I heard a very familiar sound. It didn't take long to for me to remember what it was...

_My phone! _

I recognize the ringtone since it was my favorite song...

I wasn't the only one who had heard it. Some of the people who were passing by actually stopped to find what was making all that noise. I easily pinpointed it's location. It was inside a blue metalic mailbox across the street. I didn't know why but I was very happy to hear that sweet tune.

I reached inside the mailbox when I noticed a man standing near a lampost. He was wearing a poncho and black bowler hat. His face was obscured with a orange scarf but I could still see his dark beady eyes. Looking at it made me feel like I was staring at a deep cavern. It was scary... then, he just disappeared.

"JANIE!" I heard Officer Gab called out.

I looked back and saw him standing across the street looking a bit frustrated and was trying to find me among the crowd. I quickly placed my phone inside my only pocket and ran towards him without looking, when a piercing scream made me froze in my tracks. I was standing in the middle of the road with my hands covering my head and surrounded by a cloud of dust. It took seconds for me to realize that I had been almost ran over by some large demonic black horse.

I looked up and stared speechless at the huge man astride the horse and was dressed all in black, like some demon. I couldn't see his face for he had his back against the light of the sun but I did see the outline of a black wide-brimmed traveler's hat and what looked like a sword poking out from his back. I also saw a blue pendant hanging out from his massive chest.

"Well well well... look at what we have here D." I heard a hoarse and siniter voice say which I believe strangely came from his left hand.

I was frozen with the dark aura that was radiating from this man, something I have never encontered or even thought existed back in my world. The spell was thankfully broken when I heard Gab's voice.

"Janie what the hell where you doing? Don't they have streets from where you came from?"

"HEY! You two!" a portly officer came running towards us. "Get off the road!"

"Ofcourse Officer Brown." Gab then looks up. "I'm terribly sorry sir she's been through some accident and- "

Gab stopped and suddenly his eyes went wide.

"Oh my god! It's you! I can't believe it!"

"I SAID MOVE!" Officer Brown was screaming so loud that his face was purple.

Of the two of us, it was me who was a little less spellbound and so I gently pushed Gab to the side of the road and let this mysterious stranger passed. He didn't galloped this time and just trotted his horse through the road. There were hundreds of people on the side of the road who were equally spellbound and made a path wider for him as if he were some king.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked Gab while still staring at the stanger. He had very long and black wavy hair. I saw his left ear and noticed with surprise that it was pointed and extremely pale-white.

"Don't you know?" Gab asked.

"Know what?"

"That's the great Vampire Hunter D."

_Wait did he just say Vampire?_


	3. Chapter 2 History 101

Hi guys! I would first like to thank Spastic Dhampir for taking the time to read my work. I really appreciate the review but I'm still trying to know how to use a spellcheck. So basically, I'm kinda reading my work again just to check if it's alright. So heres the second chapter and third is comming very soon! Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: History 101 **

It was already late in afternoon when we were both sitting inside one of the rooms in the library. The place was cozy and old. Officer Gab or Gab (what he would like to be called) thought it would be best if we go to the library to explain things to me since I was very close from being crazy with confusion. It felt like I've just landed on another planet...a different kind of earth.

We were sitting close to the window where the light of the afternoon filtered in. I was wearing my new clothes borrowed from Gab himself which are jeans, a loose white shirt and a pair of cowboy boots. He first lended me his sister clothes but after looking at the pink ruffled dress I insisted on borrowing his.

The library shared the same building with the town hall where the mayor, Gab's uncle, work. Earlier I met the mayor's wife, Gab's aunt who was kind and gracious enough to give us food. Looking at her made me miss my mother...

"Now." Gab carefully placed a large leather book on the table, pulled a chair and settled on it.

"I found out where New Arc is." he said while flipping the pages.

"York... New York" I corrected.

"This is amazing! Look here!" he pointed at the book and leaned towards me. "From 10,000 years ago in the past."

I frowned.

"It's not amazing..."

"In 1999. Just before the Great War destroyed mankind's civilization." He continued.

"I remember 1999." I said. "But I don't remember anything called the Great War."

"So you're saying the Great War never happened in 1999? Is that what you remembered?" he asked.

"Look. The are many things I remember in 1999... but I'm certain that there was no such thing as a World War III whatever you call it or any destroyed civilization."

"That's impossible!" He finally said. "So you mean to tell me that you don't know about the post apocaplyptic world? The rule of the Nobility?"

The Nobility, this world's version of vampires...

Gab explained to me that the Nobility played a gigantic role after the Great War. The history books in this world, describes the Great War, as a nuclear war that burned everything in it's path.

After the devastation, people, the humans found themselves in a post-apocaplyptic world littered with monsters and mutations. It was the Vampiric Nobility, who were a society of bloodsucking aristocrats, who took command and became the leaders of the entire planet. Subjugating the humans and other races to their rule. For more than seven thousand years they ruled with great scientific ingenuity coupled with grace and beauty.

That's what the books says...

Until they were overthrown by the humans only a few centuries ago. This frontier, a gigantic continent where the nobles had divided it to north, south, east and west frontiers each had thousands of sectors where all of the most influential vampiric families overseered and built large castles or fortresses in the past. But after the Great Rebellion they were reduced to legends, most of the people going about their lives never seing a real noble.

However, a rise of one noble mostly meant something really bad was going to happen and so here comes the Vampire Hunters. Apparently, one was a legend so great partyly because of his lineage being half-vampire himself. But he wasn't just an ordinary ordinary dhampire. Rumours go that he was the son of a very powerful vampire.

And I mean a very powerful one...

He is none other than Vampire Hunter D. The hunter who almost ran me over, was summoned to this town because of the massacre that Gab mentioned back in the hospital had Nobility written all over it.

However that doesn't explain why I'm here? and who were behind it?

"Janie?" Gab asked. "Are you alright?"

"Let me just...umm.. give me a minute to process..."

"Sure thing" Gab said gently pushing the tray of goods closer to me.

I reached for the mashed potatos in front of me and placed a spoonful on my mouth.

"UGH! What the hell!" I spat on my plate.

"What are you doing? Those are crushed amber gingers! You were supposed to mixed it with this soup." He reached for the teapot, poured a cup and handed it to me. I reached for it and immediately took a sip which burned my tongue.

"OOOOW!"

"Careful it's hot." Gab said a tad bit too late.

I was in the verge of tears. I wanted to cry, but mostly I wanted to go home. However, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket which was enough to jolt me back to my senses and gave me a sense of hope. I reached for it and saw I had one message in the inbox, I open it and saw a picture.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked Gab showing him the picture in my phone.

He stared at it for a while and then to my disappointment shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry but what strange device it this?" he was about to touch my phone but I took it away, stood up and went to one of the bookshelves.

"I saw the person who dropped my phone, although he dissappeared , I know he wanted me to find it..."

"Hey Don't-"

As I pulled one of the books, the entire shelf suddenly shifted and spun around. I grabbed on to the bookshelf to steady myself.

"Gab?" I called out.

"Nope." A gruff voice answered.

Turning around slowly I immediately found myself in another room. Which looked like an office with a fireplace behind a large wooden desk and a couple of animal heads hung as decorations on the wall, some of the animals I've never seen before and looked really weird. There were two windows from each end of the room, two couches facing each other with a coffee table in middle.

"Who the hell are you?" asked a short and stocky old man from my right. He had white hair and beard and was dressed neatly in a black tux. But my attention wasn't on him but rather to the person sitting on one of the couch. I stared at him.

Spellbound...again...

"We meet again." The hunter known only as D addressed me in a voice which was unlike what I heard when we first met. It was deep, velvety and as gorgeous as his (now that I could see him clearly) extremely handsome face.

"Oh my God..." I said, my breath was taken away.

He stood up and walked towards me. Up close, I could see his face clearly. He was undoubtly very handsome. But he just seemed so unreal. Plus there was something unearthly about him.. like he just came from another world...

Now, I have seen a lot of handsome men in my life. Ranging from high school crushes to movie actors, but never have I seen anyone like him before. Up close his skin was so pale yet alluring, almost glowing like looking at a bright full moon. His features perfectly elegant and flawless. He had really long and wavy dark hair, a contrast to his white glowing skin and his ears were pointed with two saphire studs on it. His eyes were stiking, in the color of clear steel gray.

Without thinking, I reached out to touch his face. Swiftly he grabbed my wrist and the sudden firm grip jolted me back to earth.

"Janie!" Gab had entered the room, ran towards where me and D stood and gently tugged me away from the hunter.

"I'm so sorry Mr. D." He said bowing several times like a Japanese subordinate. "She's a little... uhmm.." he struggled.

"Why don't you bring the young woman back to the house dear." Gab's aunt said coming in from another door carrying a tray of goods. "And after you're done, you can help Mr. D with his job."

"Yes!Yes! hurry now for it's almost sunset." The mayor urged on.

"I'm so sorrry uncle and Mr D. I'll ...I'll be right back. Please excuse us." Before Gab closed the door, I heard a sinister chuckle from the hunter's left hand.


	4. Chapter 3 A Piece of History

**Chapter 3: A Piece of History**

"Hurry Janie! We need to get to my Uncle's house before sunset." Gab called out as soon as we walked out of the building. Due to the recent events, the mayor had issued a curfew and no one is allowed wandering around the town after five, except for the hunter and a few officials.

He walked straight to where a motorcycle was parked. He got on it but failed to start the engine.

"Looks like we'll just have to walk. My uncle's house is not far though." He smiled.

Just then heavy footsteps made both of us turn towards the building's entrance and D had walked out.

He didn't say anything after seeing us.

He mounted on his horse and galloped the other way to do his vampire hunting business, leaving us with a cloud of dust.

"Do you think he could have given us a ride?" Gab asked still looking at the road D had disappeared to.

"You're kidding me right? Think the three of us could fit in that demonic pony of his? Besides is going the other way." I said as I started to walk to the same way D had galloped.

"Where are you going?" he asked. "My uncle's house is that way." He said pointing to the opposite direction.

"I need answers."

"What are you gonna do?" Gab called out after I had walked about ten paces.

"I don't know!" I called back.

That's not much of a plan!"

"I know!"

"You're gonna get yourself killed!" he called out again.

"I don't care!"

"JANIE! Look out!"

I stopped, quickly turned back and saw a large fog rolling towards us. It was too fast that Gab didn't even have time to reach me even though we were only a few feet away from each other. Along with it is a strong and cold wind that blew nastily. I screamed as my hair was in tangles and I held it down while Gab was keeping his cowboy hat from being blown away. I closed my eyes as the roar of the wind became stronger.

After what seemed like an eternity it stopped.

Opening my eyes, I saw that I was surrounded by a fog. A fog so thick that all my surroundings seemed like they have been painted white. And the worse part was...

Gab had disappeared and I was alone.

"GAAAAAAB!" I practically screamed.

Suddenly to my left the fog parted showing me a path which is a dark road with dead trees to it's either side.

"Fuck."

I had no choice. Wherever this road will go, I will take my chances rather than loss my mind in this fog. Using my phone as a flashlight. I went up the road in a normal pace while cautiously looking around my surroundings.

I was quite aware of all the creepy critters both hidding in the forrest and flying up above. Horrible images kept on running through my mind. God knows what kind of mutation the animals had underwent after the so called Great War.

It wasn't long till I found myself, at first to my horror, in an old graveyard but looking at it closely, I realized that I was on some old ruins with large marble statues and columns that were scattered everywhere and were covered with vines and overgrowth.

Although the place seemed desolate, it had a sort of magical aura surrounding it, as if centuries of past glories were buried deep in these ruins.

I stood there for a moment until something caught my eye. I looked up and stared at it long and hard.

_Wait a minute! _

I remembered something and took out my phone.

BINGO!

The picture on my phone matched the image that was on top of the entrance or gate. It curved up and down the stone walls to each side like a vine and seemed to be made of some gold metal.

"Ok so what does this mean?"

Suddenly a loud and thundering boom made me jump. Looking ahead, beyond the cliff where the ruins stood, dark clouds started to form on the sea. Obviously a storm was comming.

"You have got to be kidding me.." I grumbled.

I entered the entrance cautiously, after a few paces I turned to my left and saw a portion of what was once a large hallway mirror elegantly etched to a marble stone wall. I walked towards it and touched it's surface.

Then lightning flashed illuminating the area around and especially behind me. That is when I saw somemone. Standing close to a column was a person. Then another appeared and another.

I quickly turned and held my back against the cold mirror.

With shaking hands I lifted my phone and shone the light towards the figures.

I've seen a lot of horror movies that I can immediately tell something was not right with them.

They were people once, though they were wearing normal clothes, it looked as if they have crawled from their graves with it. And their faces...

It was bloodied and their features were deformed into some kind of a beast-like mask. They even have jagged shark teeth to match with it.

I picked up a rock and threw it on the closest zombie-looking creature.

It simply bounced of from the zombie's chest.

"Well that was stupid." I said feeling kinda embarrassed.

The zombie looked down at the rock and then focused his hungry eyes on me. In a split second, I screamed as he pounced at me in all fours! He was so fast I barely made it out of the way as he crashed towards the mirror behind me shattering it to peices.

The others followed and they chased me throughtout the ruins.

Without looking back, I ran for all my life's worth. I began to realize that my effort had become useless since I could feel one of them closing in on me. I felt his cold and sickening breath on the nape of my neck.

Then something sharp had sliced through my ankle, though the cut was shallow it was enough to make me trip and fall to the ground.

Everything was in slow motion. I was on my back as one zombie dove towards me for the kill. All I could do was hold my hands over my face.

A splash of blood covered me, it wasn't mine. It was from the zombie who was lying on the ground...headless.

Surprisingly I saw him again...

The Vampire Hunter D.

He had saved me and was standing between me and the zombies who were growling at him while holding back their attack. D was radiating an aura of killing lust that even made the horrid monsterd think twice before attacking.

Something rolled to my left. It was the zombie's head.

"Eww!" I scramble to stand up and ran towards D clutching his coat, like a child clutching her mom's skirt.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The zombies were backing away but had formed a complete cirlce surrounding us both.

"How did you-?"

"I saw you." He stated plainly and placed his left hand on my forehead.

I knew that I have grown taller to about 5 ft 9 inches, same height as Gab. However, next to the hunter I shrank for he towered, over me probably measuring to more than 6 ft 4.

"Spatial distortion."It was that familiar gruff voice again that strangely came from the hunter's left hand. "Someone wanted her to come here and for the record something is very off with this pretty girl."

As he took his left hand away, I caught sight of a face; a small face resmebling an old man on his left palm.

"What the?! What is that?" I asked eyes wide with shock.

I stepped back and again lost my footing. I almost had my head torn off from a zombie near me, but D was quick and pulled me up safely.

"She smells of radiation and rare sort alien energy I can't point out." The gruff voice continued. "I saw the Rothrian Key on one of her memories."

Rothrian Key. The drawing on my phone was a key?

"Heads up!" left hand called out. As the growl of the zombies increased, agitated and wanting to kill us both.

D half turned and regarded me closely.

"Stay close."

"Sure no problem." I tried to smile, a crooked smile since I was trembling in fear.

"Looks like the number of the victims have trippled before we even arrived and we don't even know the noble responsible yet. I think Mr. Mayor has been keeping some info on us" D's left hand stated.

"Come." D ordered me and I stayed close to him as he easily hacked all the incomming zombies who were attacking at every angle.

I was holding onto his cape the entire time while ducking and avoiding all the pieces of sliced body parts and blood.

Eventually I was separated from D when the ground from where I stoop suddenly opens up and a number of the piled rocks and zombies fell inside the gaping hole. D was fast and dived inside to grab my hand.

Using his sword, D struck it to the wall breaking our fall.

"Brace yourself for I'm gonna swing you over my back." He said looking down on me.

Before what he said could register on my mind, I was suddenly swung high and screamed as I closed my eyes.

I stopped when I realized that I was on his back. I tightened my grip around his neck when he started to move so that we were positioned in the opposite direction. So instead of climbing out the hole we were actually in the position of climbing down.

"What are you doing?" I asked although I had no idea how he was able to cling to the surface like some freaky lizard.

"We are going down."

"Wait what?!" and with that the hunter jumped while I screamed again as we were swallowed by the dark abyss.

...

"What the hell did you do that for?" I asked D, mad and confused as to why didn't he just climbed us up to the surface.

We were in some dark cavern, flooded with what smelled like sewer water.

I reached for my phone in my pocket but it was dead from low battery. I don't know why but I was pretty sure that it had at least 50% battery life left just a few minutes ago...

Then a light flashed to my right and saw that the hunter's left hand was burning in a bright blue flame.

I jumped as I noticed the mangled bodies of the zombies that were crushed from their fall. I shuddered at the gory scene.

"Can you do the spider thing again and take me back up? I don't wanna get myself mixed up with your vampire hunting business." I asked D. His reply was a question that made me think twice.

"You were looking for some key right?"

"Yes." I answered suddenly remembering the picture on my phone.

""Then let me show you. Where to?" D asked his left hand.

"Up ahead. There's an entrance which would lead us to the center of the underground fortress."

After a few minutes. We stopped. In a large cavernous space, we found ourselves facing five tunnels. I had a hunched that one of these tunnels will lead us out the uderground fortress, while the others could lead to a dead end or a trap.

I looked at D, letting him decide which tunnel to pick.

"Well?" D asked not to me but to his creepy hand.

"Hmmm.. Wait! I sense something."

Just after his left hand said this, I felt a tingling sensation on right thigh.

My phone was vibrating again. I reached inside my pocket and took my phone out. The screen was glowing on and off but still remains a blank.

"What the?" I knew something was very wrong with my phone.

"Try moving forward girl, towards any of the tunnels." D's left hand said.

While holding out my phone, I walked about ten paces to my right, closer to one tunnel. My phones screen still continued to blink, I then moved to the next tunnel then the next, until I reached one tunnel were the screen on my phone stopped blinking and was continuous white glow.

"Aha!" D's left hand exclaimed. "I had a hunch that that strange device was rigged."

"Someone is using this girl to search for a piece of the Rothrian key D." The left hand continued. "That could mean _**he **_might be involve.."

I had no idea who the _**he **_D's left hand was referring to. It was later that I knew that it was someone D was trying to find. I don't know what their history was but D would give out a sort of dark aura, almost a kllling one whenever his left hand drops the subject, and the creepy hand would get crushed in D's palm whenever he becomes to talkative.

"Let's go." I followed D as he entered the tunnel where my phone strangely responded.

After about a few minutes of walking in darkness he suddenly stopped.

"Up there." His left hand stated. Afterwhich, D turned to me and said.

"We're going up."

Looking around the dark space I asked.

"How? With an invisible elevator?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. The gesture shocked me a bit even though he was an extremely handsome guy it was very uncomfortable to be suddenly this close him.

"Just this."

He said before kicking off the ground and jumping so high. I covered my head with both my hands to protect me from brain trauma as we were about to hit the ceiling. The action would have been useless luckily I felt nothing, not one rock hit me as D punched through the hard surface.

I heard a loud thundering noise as we burst up the marble floors. Before the dust and rubbles had settled, I was dropped on the floor while the hunter landed next to me. I slowly stood up, It felt like my guts were spilling out from the sudden leap.

"Could you please stop being so impulsive for just one minute?! One of us doesn't have super powers you know!" I complained.

"Seriously what is wrong with you? I could have-"

I stopped when I realized where we were. We were in some huge bare marble hallway with only flaming torches linning both sides of the wall. The torches look like fire, strangely they were not colored red, orange or blue like a normal fire but rather were white and illuminated the entire space as clear as day.

"Open it." D said as he had walked and reached a gigantic wooden door with golden metallic markings etched on it.

The same markings from my phone.

I followed and was now standing beside the hunter as he place his left hand on the surface.

Within seconds, the door open with a loud rumbling sound. D entered and I followed.

"Wow!"

I was amazed at what I saw. The room was circular and huge. To the left was a tall glass window which was curtained in red velvet. In the center of the room are tables and chairs beautifully and elegantly carved. The floor was carpeted and on each side were tall rows and rows of bookshelves unlike those from the town library since they towered like buildings. Beautiful and expensive looking artworks of angels, demons and mythical creatures made out of crystal and gold could be seen around. But what was most intriguing was the grand chandilier the size of a small boat and a painted ceiling. If I look closely at the latter, I could see the most beautiful faces of pale white men and women in dark elegant capes and white shimmering ball gowns. I noticed that they have the same regal air that radiated from D, and I instantly knew these were the Vampire Nobility Gab was talking about.

_Same ears too..._ I thought with a laugh.

My attention was caught by the life-sized portrait above a lavish fireplace at the end of the room. It was a man, a brooding looking man with skin as pale as D. He was dressed in black all over with green embroidery. Only half of his face was shown and more of his back.

_**V **_

Was the only letter visible that was etched on a golden plate since the rest of the name couldn't be made out because it was vandalized by some sharp object.

"AH!" I was surprised when my phone suddenly flew away from my hands and stuck on a glass casing on the right like a magnet on a fringe.

I jogged towards where my phone flew. I stopped to peer at the glass casing and saw a broken piece of metallic gold.

"What is this?" I asked to D as he reached my side.

In reply, D only shifted his gaze on my phone. I immediately saw the same image on my screen and everywhere on the ruins and this underground fortress.

I see now...

"A peice of the Key." D said.

"Only this?"

"You have to first find the other peices and complete it ." D answered.

"You see the key was broken into five pieces and given to powerful Greater Nobles who were poineers of the Order of Alluria." Left hand explaines.

"The Order of..."

I don't know why but it seemed like I have heard that name before which was impossible...

I noticed that D had held out his index finger and drew a circle on the glass casing. Afterwhich, he gently tap it with the same finger and a portion of the casing fell. I was shocked when I realize that his nails had suddenly become long and sharp, which would not have been much of a surprise if only I had remembered that he was after all half-vampire.

He took out the gold piece and handed it to me. I was both grateful and puzzled by the gesture. His job was to hunt down the person or monster responsible for the massacre that happened in this town days ago. He should be hurrying back to his duties but instead he took the time to do treasure hunting with me. Could it be that it has something to do with the person left hand mentioned earlier? What's his connection with this Order thingy? More importantly, what the hell am I supposed to do if I get all the pieces of this stupid key?

There were a lot of questions on my mind that it gave me a slight headache. However one thing was clear...

I have to first find that poncho guy. He intended me to find my phone and this key. He will have my answers or else...

I spaced out for a few minutes again and noticed that D was pointing at my phone that was still stuck on the glass casing.

"You will need that." He said.

I nodded and tried to pull my phone which to my annoyance, was really hard, it was stuck fast. After a few tugs, I finally freed it but the force made me step back.

A crunching sound was heard. I looked down and saw that I had accidentally stepped on a pair of glasses. After keeping both my phone and and the gold piece inside my pocket I bent down to grab it and handed it to D. One of the lenses was severely crushed that pieces of it fell from my hand. Those glasses look very out of place in the opulent hall of vampires.

"Someone was here." D said confirming my suspiscion. He then hid the glasses inside his coat pocket. D holds out his left hand.

"I can smell it now! Oooooh that noble was soooo clever!" Lefty (I'm going to call him lefty now) sounded like he had discovered something that went under his radar and undermined his skills. Lefty was probably referring to the noble or vampire on the painting.

"What do you mean?" I asked slightly alarmed.

"After being breeched by intruders, possibly the owner of that spectacles, the underground fortress realesead a certain type of gass in all of it's areas for twenty minutes every two hours. This gass would turn it's victims into zombies or servants of the nobility. This was used once during the Great Rebellion as a biological weapon against human rebels."

By the time lefty had finished talking, I felt a strange sensation on my throat. It was a sharp and aching pain that made me drop to my knees. D rushed to my side and kneeled. He was about to place his left hand on my mouth when he stopped. Although I could not see it directly, I knew that there was a faint bluish glow on my throat and I felt a familiar cold sensation spread from my chest to neck. I coughed several times and before I knew it, I spat blood on the carpet afterwhich the pain disappeared and I felt better, though weak but better.

To my horror, I noticed that the mound of blood that I spat started moving towards me, like some worm from hell. With one flick of D's left hand, a blue flame emerged and was thrown at the bloodied thing, burning it.

"Hmmm...it would seemed that this radiation or raw energy inside your body interestingly repelled the gass' effects."

I heard lefty say.

I was still weak and had to be supported by D as he pulled me up on my feet.

"We need to get out fast. She might not be so lucky next time." D sounded like he was giving an order.

"Behind those bookshelves to your left is a hidden door that is closest to the exit of the fortress." Lefty answered without waiting to be asked.

We were about to move when a loud explosion erupted from above and was even heard several feet underground from where we are.

"What's happening?" I asked in a strained voice.

Placing his left hand on my mouth and nose covering it like a gass mask, D answered.

"My job."


	5. Chapter 4 Chaos

**Chapter 4: Chaos**

It wasn't long when me and D got to town. On horseback we gallop faster than the wind and reached the townsquare in a matter of minutes. We found the place in utter chaos. Most of the buildings were on fire and people were running from every direction, with most of them being chased by zombies. Just a few hours these people were normal and alive, now they have become man-eating undead. I've never seen anything like this in real life, not even in big budget horror movies.

A couple of people chased by five zombies ran past us. D took out his sword and with one slash severed the heads of the zombies. The people who survived continued to run until they reached a bus which took them out the area. Only D and me were left on the town square. The place was getting hot as the flames on several buildings rose. I could heer screaming inisde some of the houses but was unsure whether they're from people or zombies.

"We need to find Officer Miles." D said.

"I have no idea where Gab is."

The hunter paused for a moment. He was looking around for Gab, He must have the keenest and most hightened vision to be able to find him among all these chaos.

"There." He finally said and urged his horse to move forward making me grabbed on to him to keep me from falling.

We found Gab a few kilometers from the town square, on a train station. I notice several buses parked and people hurriedly got down which added to the hundreds of people flocking the area trying to get into a train out of town. D jumped through a high fence alarming the armored policemen guarding the barracade separating the station from the zombie riddled town.

"Janie! Where in the world have you been?!" he practically screamed as he ran and reached where D had stopped his horse.

"Is there some kind of an outbreak?" I asked as Gab assisted me in dismounting D's horse

D then handed Gab we both found in the ruins.

"I believe this is from someone you knew."

"It's my cousin's Bill" Gab just stared at the broken glasses. So the glasses were from his cousin. But what on earth was Gab's cousin doing there?

"I'm so sorry Mr. D." Gab looked up of the hunter, with tears on his eyes. "My uncle.. I mean we thought we could have it under control..."

Just by looking at Gab, I can instantly tell that Gab's cousin might be responsible for the numerous deaths. Could he have been the neophyte vampire turning townspeople to zombies?

Just then a woman's scream errupted from somewhere. It came from the police station nearby.

"Aunt Martha!" without hesitating, Gab rushed to the area. I tried to follow but was stopped when a crashing sound was heard up ahead. The baracade the policemen had constructed was falling apart as hundreds of zombies tried to get through. One portion of the baracade already fell and two policemen were hacked to death. This threw the people nearby in a frenzy.

Taking out his sword D looked at me and said.

"Go after him." He was referring to Gab ofcourse. Without waiting for me to protest he rushed to the scene and killed the zombie that got through enabling the townspeople standing nearby to escaped. A couple of policemen rushed to the scene and started shooting at the zombies.

With no other choice, I jogged towards the police station. The place was lighted a few moments ago, now it was very dark. I cautiosly stepped inside and jumped as a lightbuld tried to turn on but all it could do was blink several times intensifying the horror I felt as I stared at the mangled bodies of the mayor's bodyguards.

I took a couple of steps forwards and reached for the nearest dead body searching for a weapon. I found a handgun. I stared at it for a moment realizing that I've never fired a gun before.

I heard a crashing sound from a room nearby. Anyone in there right mind would have run after hearing it but I foolishly ran towards it.

I suddenly tirpped and fell flat down on the ground. I turn as I tried to get up and realized that I had stepped on the bodies of both the Mayor and his wife. I could never forget their eyes which were wide with horror before their throats were torn out.

I heard a door screech open and look up ahead.

Gab stumbled out on his hands and knees. He had apparently hidden himself inside a comfort room. The left side of his forehead was all bloodied and he was shaking like a leaf.

"Gab!" I called out in a whisper. He turned his head to find me and a spark of relief could be seen on his eyes. He started to crawl from where I was but stopped, his eyes wide with horror.

I immediately noted his reaction and quickly turned only to see no one behind me, only broken tables and chairs.

"Hey!" I wiped my cheek as water dripped on it. It was slimy and sticky like saliva...

I stopped when I heard a low growl so close I could even feel it's hot stinky breath on the nape of my neck. Tightening my grip on the handgun I immediately looked up and well there he was..

A man, or what once was a man was crawlng on the ceiling upside down. He looked at lot different than the zombies. His eyes were blood red and had really long fangs. I closed my eyes and screamed while I pulled the trigger and fired straight at his face.

Without looking to see If I've hit him, I stood up and ran towards Gab while firing several shots at the monster without looking back. Gab had already stood up and we were both running towards the exit door.

"Ah!" Gab screamed as someone grabbed him on the ankle from behind and fell down. I saw the monster again. I noted that one of his eyes was all bloodied were I had shot him seconds ago, however, the wound healed itself and even spat out the bullet which should have been buried deep inside his brain.

"Bill! Stop! Ah!"

The monster was none other than Gab's cousin. He was the one that turned the people to zombies when he fed on them. I threw out my handgun thinking that it was useless and grabbed a chair nearby. Using the chairs legs, I pushed with all my might towards the monster Bill while trying to impale him. Though, Gab managed to get away, I was however thrown back slamming into a wall nearby. He was so strong it seemed like I was hit by a car. Almost passing out I slid towards the floor but was held fast with Bill's clawed hand on my throat.

"Let her go!"

Gabgrabbed the gun I threw and tried to fire but the magazine was empty. He then threw the gun at Bill. The monster merely held out his right hand to catch it before it could hit him. With one hand, he crushed the gun like crumpling a piece of paper.

He continued to look at me. His eyes becoming even more red that I could not even move and felt like I should submit to him.

"Nooo!" I heard Gab scream.

He bended my head sideways and was about to bite me in the neck when I noticed a silver flash passed right in front of me.

The hand on my neck loosened and as I looked at my captor, his face began to split from his forehead down to his chest. I covered my mouth with my hands as I tried to stop my scream.

I noticed D who was standing on my left near the entrance flicking the gore on his sword.

"I was begining to wonder when you would show up." He said.

"Are you kidding me?!" I yelled at him while Gab help me up.

"I wasn't talking to you." D said, looking at Bill's corpse.

"Your uncle and aunt had been protecting your cousin all this time, even after knowing that he had become a lesser noble." D was looking at Gab who couldn't look at the hunter straight in the eyes.

"Bill was there only child." Was Gab's only reply.

"Once you become a servant of the nobility there is no turning back. You should remember that." D said as he took out a red cylinder. "It will save lives."

If only Gab's uncle have dealt with his son sooner it would have prevented all this. However I can't imagine how difficult it would be for a parent to kill his own child just to save him from becoming a monster. D was stating a cold fact. In this frontier world, one painful act can save you and everyone from hell itself.

"Incendiary grenade?" I asked recognizing the red cylinder on D's hand after playing a couple of survival action games back home.

"Both of you out now." D told us both before he pulled the pin and threw the grenade at far corner near Bill's corpse. Me and Gab didn't wait for it to go off and got out the building just in time before it exploded and the place was quickly engulfed in a large fire.

D step out the door casually like walking out of a store. I notice that smoke seemed to be rising from his cloak however he looked unharmed.

"Unbelievable." I sounded both amazed and puzzled as to how D wasn't barbecued.

I turned to Gab who was staring at the burning building were the dead bodies of his relatives are still inside.

I was speechless unable to say anything.

"Thanks Janie for coming back for me." Gab suddenly said still looking at the inferno. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Uh.. it was... it was no problem."

"Hey Kids! Heads up!" it was D left's hand that called our attention yet Gab didn't seem to question where the gruff voice was coming from.

"You should hurry." Was all D said indicating with a nod of his head the train up ahead.

By now, four out of five trains had left, but there were still people fighting for a way inside the last train out of this hell hole.

"Shouldn't the army be here?" I asked. As the three of us hurriedly walked towards the train station.

"You mean the Capital?" Gabi asked looking back at me. "Things like this happened occasionally all over the frontier. Everytown should be fully prepared for outbreaks like these or else they are not given any permission to settle."

"Occasionally?! Are you serious?!"

A loud scream rang out. The barracade had fallen and several of the zombies came through killing the policemen who were guarding it in an instant. Reaching into his pocket D took out three stakes and hurled in towards the radio station tower. To my surprise, the wood struck the metal plates and the base of the tower began to give away. In seconds it fell to the ground creating another barricade and giving us time to get away. Almost all the townspeople had boarded the last train and only me, Gab, a few officers and D were left.

"Go now." D ordered. He had walked near the second barriacde and bent down to pick something up.

Gab grabbed my arm and began to pull me towards the train which was now moving slowly out the station. The rest of the officers ran after it leaving D behind.

"Wait!" I tried to stop worried about D.

"He'll be fine! Let's go we don't have much time!" Gab placed both his hands around my waist as he tried to lift me up to a man onboard who was helping people up.

But then something exploded to our right forcing us to the ground. The train managed to get away but we were left behind.

While struggling to get up, I saw the rest of the officer who were left firing at the incoming zombie hoarde.

"You two get up!" one of the officers called out.

Turning around I reached out to grab Gab and saw with horror that he had been hit on his leg. I looked back and saw the zombies comming closer, with hellish bloodied looks and nails as sharp as their razor teeth. These zombies don't just chew, they tear through flesh and runs as fast as athletes.

However, they were just walking while closing in on us. They were cruelly bidding their time and seemed to delight at the fact of the fear building in us before they pounce in for the kill.

"Gab please!" I said pulling him up. With great effort he got up and I swung his arm on my shoulder for support as we struggled to run towards the town's main gate. A faint light made me look up and saw that dawn was comming. It made my heart explode with happiness but the short burst of joy quickly disappeared when I realized that we were the only one's left with zombies behind closing in on us.

"Almost there..."

A couple of screams errupted a few yards ahead of us. The remaining officers fell from the surprise attack of the zombies that came out of nowhere, their guns useless and unable to do much damage. I tried to turn to the left and right alleys and saw a number of the zombies crawling on the walls of the building like lizards from hell.

"We're surrounded." Gab whispered. He had lost a lot of blood that made him very weark and ready to give up.

Suddenly, like some wierd joke, a song on my phone started to play.

_**Cuz this is thriller! Thriller night. And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike...**_

"Fuck! So not the right time!"

Even with the sun comming up, it would still be too late and these ghouls would have eaten us before they get incinerated.

At the stroke of luck my eyes caught something.

"Gab if you give up and die on me. I will kill you again. Now suck it up!"

_**You're fighting for you're life inside a killer thriller tonight!**_

Bracing myself and Gab I ran with all my strenght towards the town gates. Gab cried from the pain with his injured leg dragging behind us.

I dropped him and picked up a grenade from a severed arm of an officer. I tried to follow what D did back in the police station threw it towards the zombies that had gathered ahead of us blocking our exit.

The grenade landed in front of a zombie in the center and in just two seconds it exploded creating an opening. With no time to waste I grabbed both of Gab's arms and dragged him as I ran outside the gates. Gab had fainted and it was up to me to save us both. The groans of the zombies grew louder it hurt my ears and shutting my eyes I threw Gab ahead of me.

To my shock, he landed a few meters ahead of me, outside the gate, just under the light of the faint sun. I was surprised at my sudden surge of strength that I momentarily stopped which was a big mistake for one of the zombies, a scary one with half it's lower body missing, grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the ground. I screamed, struggled and kicked as I was being dragged by the other zombies who had latched on to me and began dragging me back to the darkness.

It was at that moment that D had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. On horseback, he jumped over me and with lightning speed drew his sword and severed the heads of the ten zombies who were pulling me.

I scrambled up and ran towards the sunlight with one zombie, a young girl, chasing me. I tripped and fell in time under the sun while the zombie girl backed away as the light hit her and burned her scalp. Her head was still sizzling as I looked back at her crouched on the ground hissing with her claws extended.

"SURPRISE!" left hand said as D dismounted, walked towards me and extended his hand to help me up.

"Where were you?" I asked with a hint of anger on my voice. "We were almost breakfast for these ghouls." By then my stupid phone had stopped playing the thriller song and the undead had backed away from the growing light, back into the town's gate and finally the cool shades of the numerous buildings of the town.

D didn't answer and merely reach into his coat and got a wooden stake which he threw with such speed and accuracy. From a hundred meters it struck something and I could here a faint sharp sound which then resulted to an explosion on most if not all the buildings that the zombie had retreated to. They were killed for a second time around, either by being crushed by tons of rubble or by the light of the sun as they ran out to of the collapsing building.

"Wow..." I was dumbstruck.

I had no idea how the hunter had been able to set up all those bombs in precise locations. Perhaps it had already been there and all he had to do was hit the trigger but I do remember seeing him pick something up before we got separated. I realized that they were explosives. D might have managed to set the bombs up all over the place in just a matter of minutes.

It wasn't hard to imagine since he darts around everywhere moving like a speeding bullet.

I looked back and saw D walking towards where Gab was lying.

"Is he dead?" I asked as the hunter knelt down and placed his left hand on Gab's chest. In just one minute Gab opened his eyes wide, bolted right up and ran around in circles for several times while screaming. He was stopped when he slammed into D's outstreched arm and flipped back flat hard on the ground.

"Aaaaaooouch my back..."

**Disclaimer:** The song playing on Janie's phone was Michael Jackson's Thriller. I was listening to it while writing this and thought it might be fun to add it in the story, since I really like the song.


	6. Chapter 5 The Plan

**Chapter 5: The Plan**

It had been a few hours since we left Sunfort Town and it was probably almost noon. The sun was shinning brighter and hotter burning me like how it burned that zombie girl's head.

Gab confessed to D that the town had this problem for quite sometime now. Apparently, one of the first victims was the Mayor's son, Bill . A researcher from the Capital and Gab's cousin. He had gone to the vampric nobility's ruins, which was a research facility owned by one of the oldest and most powerful noble who had lived centuries before the Great War.

The researcher came back later but was no longer himself. He had become one of the so called _lesser _nobilities, humans turned into vampires. But instead of following standard protocol the mayor merely kept his son hidden away for almost a week.

However, he escaped and the number of victims grew exponentially, this included the officers from the Capital who were massacred after visiting the ruins. In just a few days the number of victims grew that by the time D got into town it was already too late. D managed to kill all the monsters but the town could never recover from it's fall.

"The underground fortress holds a piece of the Rothrian key." D said looking at my hand which was inside my pocket. He then looks at Gab. "The entire place was rigged with a trap that turns it's intuders into the the undead, you're cousin went inside the underground facility not knowing what he's getting into." D finished.

With all that is happening, I still have no idea how I got into this world? All I have for clues is a piece of the Rothrian key and my creepy phone. I'm still wondering whether that mysterious poncho wearing guy survived the incident. It would be a great relief if he did, I'm sure he can make things clear.

Having been paid full by Gab's uncle, the late mayor, D suggested that we should stick to him unless the real threat had been destroyed which makes me and Gab more than happy to follow.

Back in town D's horse, which was shockingly a machine, had conviniently dropped dead in front of us. It didn't matter because it couldn't carry the three of us. All the trains have left for the Capital, any vehicle was destroyed by the explosion. Thus, we were left with no option but to walk to the nearest town which was a day in a half on foot. After we get there, we'll decide what to do next.

"I'm sorry about what happen to your relatives Gab." I suddenly blurted out which slightly surprised him. We had been walking silently for hours now and I needed to hear something else other than sound of desert wind blowing.

Gab looked at me and his expression soften.

"Thanks Janie."

"Me too." Lefty joined in. His hoarse voice alarmed Gab.

"It's alright, It's Mr. D's talking left hand." I assured him. "I have no idea what that thing is but he is harmless, although quite nossy."

"Hey!" lefty reacted. "I'm countenanced carbuncle girl!"

What in the world is a Countenanced Carbuncle? Was it Carbunicle?

"Oh.." was all Gab said before he was silent again. His seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Did the Doctor survive?" I aske Gab again. I almost forgot the good doctor from the Sunfort Town medical center.

"Yes." Gab answered, I saw his face lightened up a bit.

We are walking on a road surrounded to each side by a large desert. The pavement is similar to the highways back in my world except that it wasn't purely made of cement but had been mix with something else that made it seemed like it was shiny and polished. Not a single scratch could be seen on it even though Lefty told me it has been around for thousands of years built by none other than the vampiric nobility.

"You can tell by the detailed architecture and it's intricate carvings." Lefty said sounding like a personal tour guide and indicated the curved moulded metals of black, gold and red on the side of the road.

"Sure it's weirdly gothic." I replied looking at a lamp post which resembled a red dragon holding a white orb.

When I looked to my right, my jaw dropped at what I saw. Just a few hundred yards away lay what I first thought was a city. But after focusing on it, I realized that they were actually ships; dozens of them and strange looking. They looked so big that I first mistook them for buildings.

"What in the world..."

Gab stopped walking and was now standing beside me looking at the amazing view. Even D stopped and was waiting patiently for us.

"Oh that.." Gab sounded like he had seen it many times before. "The townspeople aren't allowed to go there because that place is very dangerous, people actually died in there from accidents we couldn't explain. Some say it's haunted."

"My Uncle says they are remnants of some ancient war." Gab answered before I could even ask the question of what they were.

"Are those from the Nobility to?" I asked.

Gab opened his mouth and tired to answer but no words came out.

"I don't know." He finally said after a pause.

"Let's move." D told us and slowly we turned and started walking again following D.

I fumbled inside my pocket, touched something familiar and took it out.

"What is that?" Gab asked staring at what I was holding.

"Something important." I replied as I tried to hide it back again.

"No way it's made out of gold!" Gab trying to get a good look at what I was hiding. "Is that the Rothrian key D was talking about? How did you find it?"

Gab was trying to reach inside my pocket but failed as I shaked him off. We struggled back and forth until it turned into a game of tag.

"Hey Janie what's the big deal?" Gab called out as he ran after me while I tried to evade him.

I have no idea why I didn't want him to look at it. Probably because I was too damn protective and I was paranoid that I might lose it or maybe because I don't want Gab to be involved if this stupid key turned out to be something dangerous. Gab has been through enough already...

Ahead of us we noticed that D had stopped. We looked at each other before jogging together to reach the hunter's side. The road ahead of us was curved up so it took minutes for us to see the incomming vehicle that only D was able to detect.

It was a small delivery truck. On it's sides were painted several shades of bright neon colors resembling a rainbow in a beach. It drove in slowly and finally came to a dead stop just a few feet ahead from where we stood. It's engine smoking from overheat.

None of us made a move. I walked over to the driver's window but was surprised to find that no one was inside. Was the truck computer controlled? Had the driver disappeared? Or was he a ghost? I tried to forget the last thought since being chased by zombies hours ago still gave me the goosebumps.

D turned around, casually walked to the truck's end and went inside.

Me and Gab looked at each first before following D.

When I got inside I was shocked at what I saw.

"Oh my God! How is this possible?" the truck outside was no bigger than a small ordinary delivery truck but inside it was as spacious as a city gym.

"What is this place?" Gab's voice seemed to echo in the spacious hall.

"Spatial distortion, ofcourse it's noble technology but it had been modified." I heard left hand say.

"Can you sense someone?" the hunter asked.

"Let me see..."

The place was big but it was also filled with piles and piles of random things. I thought the owner must be some kind of collector or horder. On my right were rows and rows of clothes and various customes neatly hanged. In front of us was a jungle of cabinets, chairs and tables, hundreds of books that were stacked in a pile, a couple of fake egyptian statues and numerous sports intruments. There was even an inflatable kiddie pool next to where D stood. It never occurred to me how these things, which were something that I would find back home, were here in the first place.

Only one thought came up on my mind. I was really thirsty.

I felt so lucky when I immediately spotted a vending machine near a yellow tent. I immediately rushed towards it and reached into my pockets.

"Hey guys! Do you have change?" I called out to both D and Gab.

They only stared at me again as if I was speaking weird alien language.

"Nevermind." I said and grabbed an axe which was placed near a toilet with red ruffled seat.

"I don't think we should be snooping around guys. We should leave." Gab said while nervously expecting his undead cousin to suddenly come out from a weird pink coffin he was standing next to.

I raised the axe high and smashed through the glass casing. Several chips and soda dropped to the floor. It was hours later when I realized that I didn't check on its expiration date. I could be driking or eating food before the Great War, almost ten thousand years ago!

D and Gab turned to see what in the world I was doing making all that noise.

Picking one soda can, I handed it to Gab who by now was standing beside me. He didn't accept it but instead stared at it with a puzzled look. Without waiting for him to say something, I opened it and some of the liquid spilled out.

"Janie put it down! That burning acid gonna hurt your hand!" he took several steps back and hid behind D.

"Chill man! It's just a drink! Here hurry take it." I sighed as Gab didn't make a move, so instead I drank the soda and placed the empty can on top of a glass coffee table.

I bend down to pick up the nearest chips when I noticed something came out from underneath the vending machine.

I saw a number of silver balls, the size of marbles, rolling across the floor. It went pass me and straight to where D and Gab stood.

"What the-" before I could finish my sentence the balls suddenly rose up around D and Gab, surrounding them. D unsheathed his sword but was too late, I covered my eyes as white light exploded and illuminated the entire place momentarily blinding me. When my vision cleared, both D and Gab had disappeared and only white smoke remained where they stood.

"Guys!" I ran but fell flat on my face as something was tied to my right foot. I twisted around, sat up and saw a black bandaged wrapped around my ankle. It was wrapped so tightly I felt like blood couldn't get through. I reached for it and tried to free myself. I saw the rest of the bandage leading towards a shady corner on the far right with only a weird looking scally foot visible.

I screamed when I saw the foot.

I stop screaming when I realized that the leg was morphing, changing from lizard like to a normal foot. Afterwhich the person/creature stepped into the light. He turned into a man, a funny looking one wearing yellow banana shaped slippers, red hula shirt and brown khaki pants. His skin was tan and his dark hair was gelled into sharp tips.

"Hi!" he said and tugged at the black bandage he held several times. It suddenly wrap my entire body in a matter of seconds stopping only at me shoulder. It was so tight that I felt the my lungs inflate air. Still holding the end of the bandage he dashed forward and I screamed as I was being dragged on the floor following him.

He threw me down flat on my butt on something soft and found myself sitting on the front of the truck. Beside me, sitting on the driver seat was the stranger who was fumbling into his numerous pockets.

"Keys! Keys! Where? Where?"

"Who are you?!" I screamed. "And what have you done with my friends?"

"I just teleported them a few kilometers from here, this will give us enough time to escape. Aha!" he at last found his key and inserted it to start the engine. About to step on the gas pedal he stopped and squinted when he saw something beyond the windshield, on the road ahead of us.

I looked too and saw Gab running towards the truck.

"Heeeey!" Gab called out waving his hand. "Stop right there!"

"Wait a minute. How in the world did he get here so fast?" The stranger asked.

Gab got unto D's back and the hunter sprinted to this truck in inhuman speed reaching it in a matter of minutes. Any normal human couldn't even get this far for hours from where this stranger teleported them.

"Shit! Where's the big guy?" the stranger asked again, sounding panicky.

His answer came when a longsword pierced right through the roof of the truck hitting the stranger's right hand which was laid on top of the wheel.

He screamed as his hand was bleeding green liquid.

Green blood.

In a panic he stomped on the gas pedal but the truck was on reverse. I didn't want to be separated with D so to stop the stranger I smashed my head towards his and it bumped on the window next to him, cracking it. As he lost consciousness the wheel turned and I realized that the truck was flipping over. I saw from the windshield that D had jumped down as the truck stopped in mid air. Then the car door at my side was ripped open like paper and a black gloved hand, D's hand pulled me out before the truck landed upside down on it's back.

**(An Hour Later...)**

Me, D and Gab were back inside the truck, inside the spacious place looking up at the bound stranger hanging above our heads. While still unconscious, D had tied the strange man with the same bandaged he had tied me and although I think it was his own invention, he couldn't manage to get out of it. As if that wasn't enough, D had put the truck back into position using supehuman strength and pushed it into place, blowing both my mind and Gab's away.

"Wow! Is he bionic or something?" I whisphered to Gab.

At sword point D made the stranger confessed everything.

His name was Evander Chaste, a travelling merchant. He was also secretly an alien. Yup, an alien also called an OSB. Evan was some sort of scientist for the OSB. After the three-thousand years war, the war between the nobility and the invading OSB aliens, he was imprisoned unconscious underneath a Noble's castle for hundreds of years. Luckily he managed to escape and has been travelling around the frontier hiding from the nobility and waiting for a certain OSB ship to rescue him and take him home.

He was waiting for the same ship that got me here in the first place.

Evan told us that the ship that carried me here was shot down by some lunatic noble after it went past his teritory. I luckily survived the blast and drifted of to Sunfort Town's beach where Gab and others found me.

"Why were you trying to kidnap Janie?" Gab asked referring to what happened earlier.

"I didn't kidnap her! I mistook pretty boy here as one of the nobility who were after me, and thought I was rescuing her." Evan was referring to D.

I kinda noticed that D is not much for showing much emotion on his face for most of the things. But after Evan explained that he thought D was a vampire noble, I saw a slight raise on both of his well formed brows.

Lefty laughed so hard that Evan was startled and terrified at the disembodied voice. He quickly pinpointed it from D's left hand.

Behind him I saw a familiar clothing hanging on a rack.

"Wait! you were that poncho guy!" I said

"Yup! That's me. When I saw you drifted into Sunfort, I instantly recognized the pod that you were in .When the townspeople took you away you dropped your shell... what was it? Shellphone?"

"Cellphone." I corrected.

Evan was talking about my phone that gave strange signals whenever a piece of the Rothrian Key was close. He confessed to have tinkered with my phone just a little bit, while snooping around town looking for something.

"What were you doing in Sunfort town?" D asked.

Evan screamed as he was spun around by D while hanging above ground. He almost puked on the floor from dizziness after he had stopped spinning.

"Hey! Cool it down Mr. Bodyguard! I'm shitting my pants already!" Evan was kicking his legs wildly while hanging above the floor.

"I was searching for a piece of the Rothrian Key." He answered.

"But some foolish researcher from the Capital followed me and triggered the laboratory's security system I knew I had to get out of town right away."

A flicker of surprise passed through Gab's eyes but held his tongue.

"I couldn't leave you behind." Evan tells me. "So to get your attention I dropped you shell.. shellphone inside a mailbox where you could find it. I was kinda hoping that it would lead you to me."

"You mean lead me to the piece of the key? You used to me get it? Didn't you?" I was pissed at the thought that I almost died because of some key.

"Well yeah... I didn't expect it to do that! I kinda thought that I had it programmed so that you would find me."

"Why help her then?" D asked.

"I need Janie's help so that we can both go home to our own worlds."

I'm not sure that I heard him right, so I ask him again.

"Really? You can help me go back to my world?" I asked very hopeful.

"Yes. But In order to do that you need to put me down and we have to move fast."

I was so happy that I wanted to jump up and down but was cut off when D asked Evan why.

"Becasue of the blood-sucking maniacs that are after me pretty boy!"

Evan continued.

"I got a lot of heat on my ass you know! That stupid Order has been on to me after they discovered that I was trying to collect the pieces of the Rothrian Key."

D's eyes narrowed at what Evan said.

"Why?" I asked. "What is this Rothrian key?"

"If you put me down I'll tell you- AH!" D gave him a deadly stare making the guy sweat nervously.

"FINE!" Evan turned to me as D took his sword away and sheathed it.

"Hey Jackie!"

"It's Janie." I answered flatly. This guy has got to learn how to remember names correctly.

"Yeah whatever.. could you pull that." Evan was looking at a yellow chord behind me.

I turned around, took hold of the chord and paused to look at Evan first before pulling it. A flushing sound was heard, we looked up and saw several transparent pipes on the ceiling. A thick green liquid ran inside one of the pipes. I followed the direction of the liquid thing which was going, up and down left then right until we heard a metallic clang and saw a valve open just above Gab's head. I covered my mouth in shock and restrained a laugh as the green liquid spilled on top of Gab.

"You son of a-!" Gab wipe the green slime on his face and was about to attack Evan but was stopped by D's hand on his shoulder.

"Whoops! sorry wrong one. Let me see.. How did I? Hey Jackie!"

"It's Janie." I wa starting to get annoyed.

"Would you mind and check the toilet near you."

I looked to my right and saw the same toilet with the red ruffles where just an hour ago, I took an axe lying near it. I walked close and pulled the lid only to scream when a blazing fire shot up almost burining my hair.

"Why you!" I suddenly pushed Evan and he voilently swung back and fort. He stopped when D took hold of him and unsheathed his sword.

"Stop fooling around."

Evan winced and kicked his legs several times trying to get away from D.

"Wait! Wait just give me time to remember where I place it! Ah yes Ofcourse!"

Evan gave a low whistle and those silver balls appeared again rolling on the floor in all corners.

D aimed his sword at Evan's throat.

"Wait! Just look!" Evan said nervously glancing down at D's sword.

Just then, the silver balls converge on the floor and from it a green light emitted. From the green light, a 3D image of what I recognize as the Rothrian key emerged.

D's hand fell to his side as he walks closer to the image. Me and Gab did the same.

"The Rothrian Key opens to one of the most secure fortress' in the entire world." Evan started to explain.

"In that fortress is a large OSB ship, and the last of its kind which was confiscated by the Nobility during the three-thousand years war."

The image shifted from the key to what seems like a dark, vast and creepy castle. That seemed like it was floating in a dark space. It's numerous towers reminded me of the tall dead gnarly trees. The image then shifts to the said OSB ship which was shaped like an egg placed horizontally. It surfaces aren't smooth and are rather bumpy with several thin spikes coming out from it. The ship reminded me of some hairy worm I used to see on my mom's garden.

"After the ship which Janie was on got destroyed, I knew I had no other choice but to steal another ship hidden inside this fortress. Though the task will not be easy."

"What's the catch?" D asked cutting him off.  
>"The biggest catch would be the Order of Alluria."<p>

"Order of..." I trailed off. I remembered that Evan said something about an Order minutes ago.

"Alluria."

I turned to D who stangely had a deadly gleam on both his gorgeous eyes.

"Yup! That's the noble faction that's been chasing me around."

Evan then looks at me.

"I mean us...chasing us."

"They're tasked for ridding this world of OSB influence by either imprisoning us for experiments or killing us right where we stand. I'd prefer the latter than let them caged me again like some animal."

I could sense Evan's bitterness.

"We are going to infiltrate the Rothrian fortress, a forbidden fortress. To steal an alien space ship, we would be breaking and entering on noble property. I'm not gonna lie to you, but this will makes us top priority on their wanted list. So Janie? Are you in or what?"

I paused for a moment. I've never really encountered a noble before. Well I know that D has got half of their blood but a pureblooded one is a different story. I know for certain though what they are capable of. What happened at Sunfort town was proof of that. Also if Evan hadn't been a tricky alien with unique abilities, he would have long been dead by now. One thing is clear, this plan could kill me but still... I have to at least try.

I turned to D and said.

"I'm going with him D."

D silently stared at me.

"Great so you're in then. I've already located the other pieces, the real challenge will be to avoid the Order." Evan smiled and looked at D.

"I'm interested in letting you tag along too Mr. Pretty boy. Well? How about I hire you? You will be well compensated ofcourse, I didn't escape from that creepy noble castle without stealing something you know."

"I'm not interested." D said while sheathing his sword and walked away from us towards the exit.

"But I thought..." I trailed off. How could he just leave like that? If he wasn't interested, then why would he help me find a piece of the key back in the noble ruins? Arrrgh! Sometimes I just don't understand people!

Gab was looking back and forth between me and D. He didn't want to be separated by D but also didn't want to leave me behind. I also feel the same.

D's rejection felt like I was crushed into a million pieces. On the verge of tears I looked up at Evan, pleading him to say something and convince D to help us. Evan kept calling after D, assuring him that he would pay twice, three time even than the usual rate. When I thought that there was no way of stopping him, Evan mentions two words that was enough to ultimately catch D's attention.

"Mr. D! The last piece of the key is in possesion of the Sacred Ancestor!"

Upon hearing the name, D stopped. Even with his back towards us, we could feel the dark and killing aura that seemed to radiate on him.

Who is this Sacred Ancestor? I remembered Left hand mentioned some guy that made D react the same way now back at the ruins. I wanted to ask but knew that I had to shut my trap fearing that I might offend D just by mentioning that weirdo and will leave again. Whoever this ancestor was, I can sense D's hatred.

"We need your help!" Evan pleaded again.

After a pause, D turned and said.

"Fine."

"Yey!" both me and Evan cheered like children. I was so glad and relieved that for a moment I thought of rushing to D and give him a hug but held my composure not wanting to annoy him.

"YEEEEES"

Evan was also glad. If he were on the ground, I think we would have jumped raising one arm with a fist but since he was tied above the ground, he could only kick both of his legs twice.

"Hey! What about me?" Our attention turned to Gab.

"Yeah? What about you?" Evan asked.

Gab gave him a dark look.

"We can still drop you off to the nearest town." I suggested.

"No I'm coming with you guys." He said crossing his arms across his chest.

"No you're not." Evan countered.

"Yes I am!" Gab insisted. I looked up at Evan who only shrugged and said.

"It's your funeral." Evan said.

"They're not really gonna kill us?" I asked looking at both D and Evan. "This Order I mean..."

Evan sighed.

"I told you already, if this Order catches us, they will either kill or experiment on us THEN kills us. So unless you're willing to go back to your own world. You will have to take your chance."

Evan looks at my pocket and continued.

"Besides, you already have one piece of the Rothrian key. In the Order's eyes, that's already crossing the line Jackie."

"Janie." I corrected him again.

"Alright, where to Mr. Tourguide?"

I asked Evan.

"I would be happy to lead you my fellows but can I make one small tiny itsy bitsy request? Can you guys put me down now? My legs feel seriously numb right now."

I could hear left hand laugh.


	7. Chapter 6 Origins

**Chapter 6: Origins**

After Evan was released he immediately payed D with gold coins. Real gold coins called aristocratic coins used by the nobility and is three times the amount of normal currency.

"Did you steal this from that noble castle you escape from?" I asked. We hudled together on a table were the coins shined on all our faces.

D glared at Evan who immediately held up both his hands in defense and shook his head several times.

"Ofcourse not! I was just kidding when I said that, I won it in a card of games from a Barbaroi guard. His vampire master pays him with these." He took one and let it roll across the back of his fingers. Like some magic trick, he made it disappear and reappeared again sticking it on Gab's forehead.

"Hey quit it!" Annoyed, Gab took the coin and threw it at Evan. Evan swiftly avoids it by stepping out of the way and D catches the coin in the air. D looks down at the coin, his handsome face looking really nostalgic.

"Which reminds me.." Evan reached under the table and pulled out a familiar brown bag and my heart leapt when I saw it.

"My bag! How did you get this?" Taking it from Evan, I placed it on the table and examined it closely.

"We kept the human valuables apart from the pod in a separate compartment. I found your bag, with your phone inside, floating along with the wreckage from the spacecraft. I identified it with this, which was hanging from the pocket of your bag." He pulled out something from his backpocket and tossed it to D. I leaned over the hunter and saw he was looking down at my driver's licence.

"Is that you Janie? You look kinda fat in there." Gab's slightly rude comment made me turn to my left and saw that he was also leaning on me to get a good look at my picture.

"Give me that." Embarrassed, I took my I.D. from D and place it inside my bag along with my phone. I didn't know what to say. So far Evan has been consistent with answering all our questions. But there's just something off with him... He has confessed to being an alien and beneath his easy going nature and calm demeanor, I sense that he is hiding something. I don't trust him but I apparently have no choice in the matter. The only one easing my anxiety right now is D. I figured that as long as I'm with him, I'll be alright. D saved my life and that's why I trust him. And knowing D's reputation, I'm sure Evan won't dare pull anything while D is around.

"Now..." Evan suddenly went inside the yellow tent beside him and came out seconds later carrying a toolbox.

"Let's fix my truck and we have to do it quick. Sunset is close and it won't belong when the Nobility finds us."

"Let them come." D said.

Evan gave a low whistle.

"Aren't you the excited one." Evan smiled.

"Other than hunting us down, I'm also worried that they might get to the remaining pieces of the Rothrian key first and when they do..."

Evan's tone turned grave.

"It will be impossible to find them anymore.."

After fixing Evan's truck we set course for a small city on the Western frontier and had been driving across the road for hours now. While Evan drove, the three of us managed to rest. The clothes that I borrowed from Gab is dirty with mud and blood so, I went looking for new outfits in Evan's collection. I frowned when I realized that they were all costumes and it took me a while to find normal clothes.

It was really wierd.

It was already sunset when I stepped in front of the truck and sat beside Evan.

I have so many questions to ask him and I had already rehearsed them on my mind when I was freshning up. Thankfully Evan asnwered all my questions patiently.

"When you abducted me, what exactly did you guys do? Am I going to turned into something like you guys?" I asked. I had this freaky imagination of turning into some wierd alien reptile like in a sci-fi horror movie I once saw.

Evan turned to regard me for a moment before shifting his gaze back to the main road.

"Oh no Janie, I am pureborn alien disguising as a human. All OSB disguises themselves as human to avoid detection from nobles and also humans." He answered.

"This face." He said gently tapping his cheeks with the palm of his hand. "Is not my real face."

"So what am I exactly? What did you guys do?"

"After the war, the nobility drove us out. As if that wasn't enough, they chased us all the way to our home planet." Evan explained with his tone sounding distant.

"They destroyed our world, but a few of us managed to survive by escaping into a portal that travels from one universe to another. That's how we got into your universe Janie."

Looking at the window beside me, I saw thousands of stars littered across the dark desert sky. That's not something you would see when you're living in a crowded city. Looking at it I thought just how vast the universe is, let alone if there were actually more than one universe.

"The OSB that escape had been experimenting on special soldiers that would combat the nobility so when they passed by your earth they abducted a number of you. Those who managed to survive the experiment are called mods."

"Mods?" I asked.

Evan continued. "Short for modified humans. It's the term used whenever a human is modified by alien technology or had alien origins. You have alien nano technology inside your body that made your bones denser making you taller than before and stronger than normal humans. You even age a lot slower than normal humans so after fifty years, you'll still look like you're in your twenties.

"Also" he added " You have regenerative abilities that can even regrow a severed limb. But you can't heal damage vital organs so don't get yourself shot in the head."

"Wow... Seriously? Am I going to be okay?"

There has to be a catch. Just like vampire who has all the supernatural abilities the world has to offer but is forced to feed on the blood of the living in order to keep it.

Longevity and regeneration isn't such a bad idea, especially when you're living in harsh environments like the Frontier. But what scared me was the uncertainty of my future. I'm not a normal human being anymore and I'm terrified at the thought that something might go wrong and die and what if I mutate?

I asked Evan if there were people like me. He took his time before answering that there were others however they were from an earlier batch and had live in this very frontier for centuries. The last one died just a few decades ago and as of right now, I may the only one left of the Mod species.

"It's no that bad Janie." Evan said as if he was reading my thoughts. "You are still human, though not a normal you still have to function like a normal human in which you have to eat human foods, drink human drinks, exercise, sleep eight to ten hours a day, whatever normal humans do. Just think of your mod condition as some sort of uprgrade."

"But why experiment on humans exactly?" I asked after I had relaxed a bit at what Evan said.

Evan turned to me and smiled.

"Humans are like water. Water is known to be the universal solvent thus, humans have the most adaptable physiology of all earth creatures...earthlings I mean."

A human is an earthling and so are vampires and mutants.

"Why did you invade? What do you want with this world?"

"Same reason why any alien race would invade. For the planet's resources and to dominate. Unfortunately for us, the Nobility were already doing the latter so you know what happened next...War."

"Hey Evan."

He turned t to me suprised at my sudden change in tone.

"Yeah?"

"Could you not try invading my home planet when we get there? I'd appreciate it." I asked him nicely.

"Couldn't even if we wanted to. We come from different universes." He smiled.

"Do you have a gun?" I asked changing the subject.

"Why?"

"For protection duh!"

Evan snorted.

"You don't need one silly. D is with us, let him do all the fighting."

"Besides." Evan continued ignoring my rude comment. "If you've heard the rumours. They say that he's not just some ordinary dhampir."

"Really?!" I asked and I eagerly turned to face Evan.

"Does this have something to do with that Ancestor guy? Tell me everything!"

Evan open his mouth about to say something when he looked up at the rearview mirror and saw, to his surprise, D standing behind. In shock he accidently stepped on the gas pedal momentarily jolting the truck forward.

"GEEEZ! How long have you been standing there?"

"Quite some time." Lefty answered.

Evan was looking around again for the source of that voice.

"Seriously who is that?"

"It's D's talking left hand." I answered.

"We are almost at the City of Ahlberg. From there we will head to the Castle of Fame at the hill overlooking Sapphire Lake. Somewhere inside the castle, another piece of the key is hidden." D said.

"How did you..." Evan was about to ask but kept quite.

Our destination is The Castle of Fame in the a small but very wealthy City of Ahlberg which was still under the leadership of an influential vampire family, The Karnsteins. The Castle was said to be the fifth largest in the entire world and is home to Countess Carmilla Karnstein and her older brother Lord Adam who are members of the Greater Nobility. Both of them are very influential nobles and are very strict when it comes to bloodlines and vampire aristocracy.

Evan explained that none of the dreaded siblings are home at the moment so we can safely enter the palace without the danger of being caught by the keen senses of the nobility which is a lot sharper than any trained mutant servants. The mutant servants, also called Barbaroi, were thankfully not on duty inside the castle because of the city festival. However, the castle's main computer gurading it is not to be taken lightly. The uniqueness of noble technology doesn't just come from pure science but also stems from alchemy and sorcery so you can't just hack inside a noble castle some tech nerd. Those who were stupid enough to dare enter, relying on the fact that not a soul was around, didn't come back alive. It was said that the artificial intelligence guarding every vampire castle was every bit as blood thirsty as their noble masters when it comes to unwelcome guests.

Evan pointed that we will be detected by the castle's security system but D's pendant will distort the system and give us time to escape before the mutant servant could respond and the real trouble comes.

"I need you to move." D had already walked towards where Evan was driving.

"Sure."

As soon as Evan got up. D settled himself on the driver's seat and easily took over the wheel. He then turns his head to stare at me.

"What?" I asked and looked down at my new shirt. Along with my new jeans and a pair of nikes I found in Evan's stash. The white shirt I was wearing underneath my brown jacket had the words **BITE ME** written on it.

"I know. These were the only normal clothes I could find. Evan mostly had brightly colored customes. One even had real fruits as a head piece." I said.

Bright Lights suddenly filled our view as we were getting closer to the town.

"What the hell is going on?" Gab asked after he suddenly appeared from the back.

D stopped the truck in time before hitting the rear end of a vehicle ahead of us, which had also stopped dead in it's track along with other rides to each side of the road.

"It's the festival." Evan said looking at the people walking by.

"Great... so now we're stuck in traffic?" I said annoyed.

"We head out after we park this vehicle. The Castle is just near on foot." D said and true to his words he managed to park the truck effortlessly in the limited space, stood up and headed out.

"Did you see what was wriiten on her shirt?" I heard left hand asked resurfacing from D's palm after some time and souded like he was on the verge of laughter.

"She's asking for it!."

I could still hear lefty laughing hard even after D had stepped out of the vehicle.


	8. Chapter 7 Fear Rising

**Chapter 7: Fear Rising**

**Note: **This chapter is kinda long...

"Hurry we need to move." Evan said as he started to walk towards the exit door. Gab had already packed the things he needed while I put on my bag.

I saw on the windshield that D was walking farther now, and had covered a great deal of distance in just a span of a few seconds. The three of us didn't hesitate any further and ran after D while gearing up, droping some things like candy wrappers and flashlight batteries trying to hurry after D.

"Hey D wait up!" I called. Evan was ahead of me first just a few yards from D and behind me Gab was running too. The three of us followed D, while avoiding cars and people since the crowd became a lot thicker as we neared the center of city. Though D was only walking, it was strangely very difficult to catch up to him even when the three of us were running as fast as we could.

"Hey watch it!" I accidently bumped into a strange guy who was wearing a dark jacket with the hod pulled on top of his head. I turned and apologized quickly and stop when I saw how red his eyes were. The man was alarmed as I continued to stare at him and hurriedly disappeared into the crowd.

"Hey Janie what are you doing? We're gonna lose them." Gab had pulled up beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"O..Okay."

After almost an hour of jogging around the city, we reached a station wherein cables cars were set that would allows us to reach the highest peak in the city where the castle stood. Once on top, I felt my ears were gonna pop and I shivered as the cold wind of the night air blew at us. I can see the entire city hundreds of meters below. The sight was amazing, the buildings shined in various colorful lights and several gigantic spotlights danced around the dark sky. And I guessed, that it made the city more alive in night than it was in day.

On top of the hill, only the castle stood. Like a great majestic guardian watching the city down below. Beyond the caslte lies the beautiful Sapphire lake and to either side of the entrance stood large dense trees. The shape of the castle resembled the classic fairytale castle although this seemed ten times larger resembling more a fortress and was painted mostly in crimson red and gold.

"Where are they?" Gab asked searching the area. As I turned towards Gab, something flew right in front of me and went straight towards Gab hitting him on the forehead.

"Ouch!" He quickly placed his hand on where he was hit. Though it was a little red, he wasn't wounded.

"Hey who threw that?!" He asked angrily even though we were standing alone in front of a huge golden gate which was the main entrance to the castle.

I looked down and saw a pebble rolling on the ground.

"Shhh!" I grabbed Gab's arm, he looks at me and I placed one finger on my lips to silence him. With the same finger I then pointed on a large tree nearby. We ran towards it and saw Evan behind it , hiding from plain sight.

"Why are you hiding?" Gab asked.

Eva didn't answer and simply pointed at several large golden orbs hovering around the castle.

"You two were lucky those things didn't catch you in time. Both of you were standing there like a pair of dumb tourists."

"I'm sorry okay but we lost sight of you and D!" I asnwered him in a harsh whisper.

"Where's D anyway?" Gab asked.

Evan pointed beyond the trees.

"He's in one section of the castle wall where security is not to tight. We need to hurry."

We followed Evan as he slowly turned and stood up. The three of us cautiosly walked around the trees, carefully avoiding the detection of several orbs that were still floating nearby. Illuminating the dark areas of the forest outside the castle gates. By the time we reached the place, I saw D standing in front of a gigantic dark red wall about twenty feet high and spanning a few miles wide from left to right.

We stop to catch our breaths after reaching D's side.

"Now where is that secret door?" Evan said as he reached for the wall.

"I wouldn't-"

D was unable to finish warning Evan as he immediately touched the wall with his hand sending electical discharges around his body. It electricuted him and even sent him flying half a yard from behind us.

"Evan!" I cried and ran to where he lay. Though some of his hair was burnt and even saw electricity sparks dancing all over his body, he was still alive and breathing.

I looked up at D and saw that his blue pendant was shinning brightly. Just then I heard a noise and saw that each and every one of the lights on the wall were being shut down.

D took a step forward as the wall in front of him blurred and finally disappeared revealing a secret pasageway.

I cried out when Evan suddenly bolted up right and stood up. He held up both of his hands saying that he was ok though his hair and clothes were still smoking.

"What are we waiting for let's go." Evan said with smoke coming out from his mouth.

I followed him as he began to walk were D and Gab stood; though his knees were shaking. The secret passageway was very dark when we enetered and so, we each took out our own flashlights from our bags.

"Come on!" Gab was shaking his flashlight and when it turned on, he screamed when he accidentally shined on a horrid looking skull with a centipede crawling out of it's socket.

The three of turned our flashlights around and saw rows and rows of mummified corpses that were lined along the walls and ceilings. Some were still intact, others were only skulls or parts of skeleton making the place some kinda of a horror fest. I shined my flashlight on the corpse of a young girl, her angelic face was amazingly still intact and a pink ribbon was still tied on her red hair. I noticed that D has suddenly stood next to me and was also looking at the corpse too. His face was expresionless, but his eyes held a kind of sadness that I could never comprehend.

"What kind of a sick idea is this?" Gab asked Evan still looking at the mumified corpses nearby.

"This place was once a passageway used by human servants from the city to the castle." Evan explained as he started ahead of us.

"Servants who were turned into victims and died in the castle are buried in this tunnel, since the locals were so afraid to take the bodies back to their homes."

"Wow.. this is so over the top in all it's creepiness." I said as I shuddered at the dead bodies my flashlight shines upon.

We started walking in the tunnel with D leading ahead of us. After about half an hour later, the path narrowed so that the ceiling almost touched D's hat. At the end of the tunnel was a thick wooden door; on entering it we found ourselves inside a great hallway with large windows and red velvet curtains on the right in front of us. And on our side, where our door was, were several beautiful landscape paintings on the wall. Looking up we saw beautiful and brightly lighted chandeliers lining up on the ceiling.

I walked into one of the large widows to my right. It's red velvet curtains were parted so that I could see thousands of small yellow pointed lights below. They were people from different parts of the frontier and the capital who are visiting the city . It was almost dawn, but the entire place outside was still vibrant in celebration of it's festival.

"There!" Evan said. And we huried towards a large wooden door at end of the hallway. Evan was the first to reach the door knob and pushed. The door didn't budge and after several attempts by him, the door didn't open a crack. It was only after D placed one hand on the door and gently pushed it did it moved. After it opened just a little bit, Evan told D to stop for a moment.

"Thanks!" Evan said turning to D while whipping his forehead even though I didn't see any sweat on it.

"I must have loosened the door up for ya." Evan chuckled.

"Yeah whatever pal." Lefty muttered.

"By the way, your talking left hand is very creepy."

Evan said before turning around and leaned closer to door to peer inside the next room.

"Okay the coast is clear." Evan said and three of us followed him as we entered the room.

The next room was just as vast and magnifent as the previous one. This time, the spacious room was circular with it's ceiling reaching to almost a hundred feet. It was mostly bare except for the large red velvet windows surrounding it. There were three large doors, one from where we came through, another was at the back of the staircase and one on the left. The most magnificent sight in the vast room was the beautiful and spiral grand staircase.

Beside the staircase leading up to the glass ceiling was an amazing sculptures of mythical creatures made of marble and crystals. The spiral staircase coiled around the magnificent sculpture and the light from the moon above, beyond the glass ceiling, illuminated the staircase making it hauntingly beautiful.

Still, I can't imagined climbing those steps numbering tens times more than all the stairs I've climbed in my life so far.

I was about to turned to the door on the left when I was stopped by D's black gloved hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw D pointing at Evan and Gab who were walking ahead of us towards the staircase.

"Oh come on! Theres gotta be an elevator!"

"No elevators sweetheart." I heard lefty say. "Getting into one might alert the security system, you will be trapped inside."

"One hundred and forty seven steps." D said looking at me. He was referring to the number of steps on the staircase.

"Could you do me a favor D and keep that to your self." I said really annoyed. I wasn't sure though I thought I saw D acutally smile and it kinda boost my confidence that I was kinda eager to climb those dreaded stairs.

Me, Gab and Evan fell to our knees once we reached the top of the staircase, only D stood calmly in the side waiting for us to catch our breaths.

As someone who lived a sedentary lifestyle back in my world, I was the one affected the most and I was actually wheezing in shortness of breath.

It wasn't long when I got my normal breathing back and was the last to stand up from the three. Just as we were about to walk towards the opposite end of the hallway, we heard a strange sound comming from above. It was like the sound of metals banging at each other sending out weird unmelodic sounds and traveled from one end of the hallway to another. The noise grew as it passed over our heads and fainter as it went further to our right.

"What the hell was that?" Gab asked.

"I don't know with you guys, but that sounded like a screwed up plumbing system." I said.

"We need to hurry." D said and we immediately started to walk again following where the sound disappeared to.

"Where is this second piece Evan?' I asked.

"It's in the Grand Ballroom below."

"What?!" Both me and Gab yelled together in disbelief even D raised one elegant brow.

"Why did you make us climb all the way up here?" Gab agrily asked.

"Relax..." Evan turned to him.

"We can't pass throught the main hallway without being detected, theres another much less conspicuous way." Evan explained.

It wasn't long when we reached another staircase, one which is less grander though it was draped in emerald green carpet. We descended the stairs and reached another door, the same size as the one we used to enter the castle.

"It's lock." Evans said and took out a thin metal wire twisted it around and began to pick the lock. Me and Gab tiredly sank on a cream colored couch at the side of the door, while D stood near an elegant mirror with real gold molded on it's edges. I noticed that D's pendant still kept glowing. I realized that a castle as big and as expensive as this must be very heavily guarded even with the mutant guards not around. We managed to get this far inside the castle because of D's pendant.

"How did you know the way inside here?" D asked.

Both me and Gab turned to Evan's direction who was still busy unlocking the door.

Without looking at us he answered.

"Because I used to work here as an undercover human hundreds of years ago, during the alien war, before I was imprisoned."

"Really?" I said amazed that Evan could be a lot older than what he makes himself out to be.

"Yup."

"D knows this place too." Evan added which surprised both me and Gab.

"Yeah...I heard it had something to do with a pretty noble lady." Evan chuckled.

"I do not know what you are talking about." D's tone was flat.

"I know..." he started to laugh.

"Bitches man.."

I stood up, walked close to Evan and gave him a head slap.

"HEY! What the fuc-!"

"Hurry up will you?!" I said giving him a sharp look as I crossed my arms. I know that Evan has a penchant of fooling around with anyone and I know that D can be very patient though he is a very dangerous person that I was so afraid that D might be too annoyed by Evan's teasing, the hunter might cut him down where he stood.

Evan turned to finish his work and after a few seconds he managed to unlock the door.

"Yes... VIOLA!" Evan turned the knob and the door swung open. Evan stepped back cautiously as D entered, I followed after D, Evan and Gab enetered next.

The door where we entered was on the right side of wall beside an embroidered purple tapestry. When I got in, my jaw almost dropped to the floor at how huge the castle's grand ballroom is. The place was about a hundred times bigger than any grand ballroom I've seen stretching far and wide from every corner. The marbled floor was well polished and seemed to have a slight golden glow which was a reflection of the thousands of lights from hundreds of beautiful chandeliers around the painted ceiling. To each side of the walls were hundreds of paintings of various kinds mostly depicting some sort of epic event.

I stared with my eyes wide in amazement at one large portrait on the right where nobles clad in flowing black cloak fought a gigantic tentacled beast which Evan told me was an OSB god. Other paintings were portraits of the most influential noble men and women with fair or dark hair and pale white skins.

D stopped near one end of the ballroom and stood staring up a large portrait above a giganctic door which I figured was the main entrance to the grandballroom.

The three of us followed after him.

"Oh my God!" Gab exclaimed.

"Yeah I know right?" Evan said his eyes glued to the portrait.

"Who is that?" I asked, obviously the only one who was clueless of it all.

Except for D, the two men turn to stared at me for a moment then look back at the portrait.

"What?" I asked.

I looked up at the portrait. It was a man, a tall and broad shouldered mysterious man with a regal and commanding presence. He was dressed in a black flowing cape with blood red lining inside. The artist drew the cape as if it was being dramatically blown by the wind. His hair was dark, long and shiny. His face is eerily pale white although it was mostly hidden by his dark cloak his eyes still stood out which were very blood red in color they seemed to look like burning rubies. Although it was just a portrait, one looked at those eyes seemed to rob you of your soul.

"I've never seen a portrait of him before, only heard stories. Janie I can't believe you do not know who the Sacred Ancestor is." Gab said after sometime seeming to have forgotten that I would naturally not know him since I'm not from this world!

So this is the Sacred Ancestor...

"Who in the world is that?" I asked.

"Maybe this would help." Evan turned to walk towards me. When he stood near my side he leaned close to whisper on my ear. With one hand covering his mouth he just said one name.

One name that I couldn't believe hearing.

"Dracula."

A series of images flooded my mind from cheesy black and white horror movies, to the famous Bram Stoker novel and other adaptations of novels and comic books with far-out plots. I even remembered a vampire muppet in a children's tv series though I forgot what his name was. The name was both eerily familiar and yet very strange.

Yes! I know damn well who Dracula is!

Who the hell wouldn't?

This might seemed strange but there were times when I kinda thought that he was cool...

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper and turned to Evan. "For real?"

"Yup for real real real, and theres something else-."

Evan suddenly jumped and shut his big mouth as he noticed D turned and gave him a piercing look.

"Keep your comments to yourself Mr. Chaste." D said in a threathening tone while Evan nervously laughs.

D walked towards the far right corner where a smaller portrait was hung.

Evan gave a slow leering whistle.

"Wow..." Gab said under his breath.

On that portrait was a young woman, and probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She was holding a golden mask and was wearing a black and expensive looking black gown. The diamond studied necklace that adorned her long and white graceful neck had gems the size of my thumbs.

She had long, thick and lustrous blonde hair in the color of vibrant gold honey and it cascaded down her white smooth shoulders. Her skin was very fair white almost transluscent with a pinkish tint on her cheeks. Her features were small and beautifully formed almost perfect. She had pretty doe eyes or doll like eyes in a rare color of voilet, like amethyst jewels.

Under her portait a name was inscribed in the golden plate.

_Countess Carmilla Karnstein_

Lefty told us that despite having the Sacred Ancestor/Dracula's portrait displayed grandly in their castle, the Karnstein siblings were a member of the opposition. That means they believe in the purity of noble blood and abhorred the experiments combining human and noble blood rumored to be done by the Sacred Ancestor. But the Countess' brother, Lord Adam, seriously fell out of grace from the Sacred Ancestor for some reason. And to save his life, the Countess, a once elusive noblewoman, presented herself to Dracula's court for the first time. And with her great beauty and intellect, Carmilla instantly became a favorite among all the court ladies in Dracula's palace.

I looked back, opposite Carmilla's portrait and saw yet another portrait. It was the same size as the Countess' although in it was a nobleman, a very handsome nobleman. He had the same wavy golden hair as his sister's though it was shorter resting just above his shoulders. His eyes were cruel and cunning, they were in a beautiful emerald green color.

It was none other than the Countess' older brother, Lord Adam.

Lord Adam was one of the nobility's top ranking scientist. Like his sister Carmilla, he was once a child prodigy and an also excellent swordsman. Although it was said that hidden beneath his good looks and charisma, is a cruel and coniving vampire who despises anyone he deems lower than his kind.

D was still standing near Carmilla's portrait, with his left hand disappearing into the back apparently reaching for something. He quickly turns and gave Evan a hard stare after a light suddenly flashed out at the hunter.

"Sorry." Evan said with a sheepish smile.

I was suprisde to see Evan holding my phone. I vividly remember hiding in one of the pockets inside my bag. I don't know how he was able to sneak in and grabbed it. The flash on my phone was accidentally triggered as Evan was about to take a picture on the Countess' portait even with D on the background.

"Give me that!" I snatched my phone from Evan's hand and saw that he had been taking pictures around the ballroom for some time now. Some of the pics were blurred and topsy turvey suggesting that he was hiding the phone while taking pictures.

"It's not here." D said as he took out his hand behind the Countess' portrait.

"He's right." I said staring down at my phone. "It's not vibrating."

Evan got out a small notebook from one his pockets and studied it for a moment before looking up at D.

"According to my sources it says one piece is hidden on the Countess' portrait." Evan closed his notebook and said.

"We'll look somewhere else."

"Where? We can't waste our time searching this entire castle!" I said

"Listen." D said silencing me. D's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze to the opposite side of the ballroom.

"What I can't hear anything?" Gab said while me and Evan looked around the place.

After a few minutes, we heard yet again that same familiar echoing sound back when we stood up at the grandstaircase. The sound was at first faint and came from the direction at the far oppoiste side of the grandballroom and grew louder and louder as it came close to where we stood. However it disappeared just at it was about to pass over our heads.

"Seriously what is that?" I asked still looking up.

Evan was walking around while looking above when he suddenly stopped and looked down noticing something on his right. On top of a tall slim table stood a stuff animal of a beautiful white cat with real gold for a collar. Evan was about to poke the stuff animal when it suddenly jump surprising us all that it was actually alive. I saw on the table where the cat stood a picture frame of the Countess holding the cat like a cherished pet, with the name Snow white engraved on the picture. My attention was drawn back to the cat as it panted at us.

"SHOO!" Evan tried to scare the cat away by kicking it however he missed the animal and sent his shoe flying.

"Shit!" Evan cursed as he hop forward to retrieve his shoe back. Me and Gab looked at each other while we giggled, D just shook his head.

The cat just ran towards the far side of the room where a single lone figure stood. We had no idea how this stranger suddenly appeared, perhaps D was the only one who detected the stranger. Judging from the form, the stranger was a tall woman (taller than me reaching almost six feet) with a slim and athletic yet curvacious body and was dresssed in an expensive looking sleek black gown. I squinted my eyes and recognized the golden mask she was wearing. I looked back at the Countess' portrait and again at the woman standing in front of us.

"Is that who I think it is?" I trailed off.

"No." D answered, his eyes still glued to the noblewoman. His answer relieved yet puzzled me at the same time.

"The castle's main security computer can replicate itself in the image of the Countess." Evan explained.

"It's a holographic image so it can't do any harm to-" Evan was cut off as something flashed from the hologram towards Evan. Both me and Gab screamed as we noticed that Evan's right hand had been taken off at the elbow. With eyes wide with fright, Evan held up his amputated right arm while green ooze slid down in droplets towards the marbled floor. But just then, the green blood converged in Evan's arm forming into the missing hand, it then changed into his normal skin color and the hand was back again.

I looked back at the hologram of the Countess still standing there. One of her arm was held up as she caught the metallic chain with a sharp looking blade on it's end; this long range weapon was what she/it whatever used to cut Evan's arm off and she drew it out ightning fast.

"Damn that hurts! Thank goodness for regenerative abilities." Evan said.

I still had my hand covered over my mouth shocked at what I saw.

"Look!" Gab called out and we all saw that the holographic image of the Countess had disappeared. It was said that the fear of nobility was deeply rooted in the humans of this world. Even though some individuals actually got passed through that, marjority of the frontier people still feared the nobles, especially those living in a sheltered life in the Capital. Gab was one of them and he started to panic by running around the place in circles for a means to escape. I was chasing him trying to calm him down but it wasn't until D called him to stop did he actually stood still. He ran to D and hid behind the hunter. I and Evan stood a few feet from them.

I felt something was wrong and noticed that D's gaze were trained hard on both me and Evan.

"Look out!" D called out. Between me and Evan, I was quicker and immediately saw a red light descending from the ceiling. I pushed Evan out of the way and he bumped into Gab as the force from my push knocked me over and I landed on my butt.

With my butt still aching I slowly stood up and was shocked to see a glowing red light had spread and created a transparent reddish wall separating me from D and the others. I stepped closer to the glowing wall and was about to touch it when D stopped me.

"Don't." D stepped closer to the wall and held his left hand over it. "This lazer can burn through your bones and cut throught steel, step back."

I did what D told me and the hunter unsheathed his sword. He stood still in a fighting pose with his sword held high before he thrust his weapon towards the glowing wall. Large sparks flew and pushed me back as well as Gab and Evan from the other side of the wall, only D was left unfazed as a hole wide enough for a hand to get through was made from D's sword.

Amidst the flashing light and fiery sparks,we heard footsteps from a high heeled boots echo to my left. The Countess' hollographic image disappered and reappeared again from the other side of the wall and was walking towards D and the others. As the Countess was closing in on the hunter, D immediately snatched his pendant and threw it inside the gaping hole towards me.

I went down on one knee as I struggled to catch D's blue pendant. By the time I stood up, the hole from the wall closed and I heard screams from the other side.

In a movement so fast no normal eye could see, the Countess disappeared and reappeared in front of D. She closed in the few yards where she stood from D in just one blink of an eye. Their swords clashed sending red sparks on the floor.

"Run!" D told me even before the glowing red wall started to move towards me. I staggered as I tried to run towards the opposite end of the grand ballroom. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I managed to reach the far side of the room in a matter of minutes but realized with horror that I was trapped since the large double door in the end wouldn't budge. I slammed my fist on the door and ran towards the nearest wall desperately trying to find a hidden door somewhere. I turned and screamed when the glowing wall was only a few inches from my face before it disappeared.

D's blue pendant still glowed. But the presence of the Countess' holographic image made it's light flicker.

I saw D and the Carmilla clone still fighting. Their movements were so fast and swift they seemed like they were darting from one place to another sending sparks to shower from here and there.

I saw Evan and Gab huddled on the corner of one wall and called out to them. Evan saw me first and was about to ran towards me when he was stopped by something that flew right it front him, narrowly missing him and struck the wall on their left.

It was the cloned Countess' sword, one hand was still held up after throwing her weapon the other, which had a golden gauntlet, held D's sword. The image of the Countess then turned it's attention towards me. With a red gleam glowing from the eyes of her mask, a mechanism was heard and in a matter of seconds, three thick metallic chains held me fast and pressed my back hard against the cold marble wall.

"Guys!"

I called out unable to move from my spot.

D managed to pull his sword free from the Countess' hand and swiftly slashed horizontally at the holographic image. The hollographic image of the Countess' became distorted and dispersed into a thick black fog that spread throughout the entire area swallowing D and the others. It was the last thing I saw before the wall flipped around and I found myself in a cold and pitch black room.

I was breathing really hard and my heart pounded so fast I thought it would burst from my chest. Although it was dark, the place was slightly lighted because of D's glowing pendant hanging from my clutched hand. From it's faint light I saw that I was in a narrow stoned tunnel, like some passageway to a dungeon beneath the castle. Another mechanical sound was heard, like a motor engine starting.

I sensed that I was moving forward. Slow at first, then it was faster, faster that it seemed like the cold wind blowing on my face was freezing my sweat.

"AAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAH!

I continued to scream as I moved faster and faster, like I was in some really scary theme park ride.

The light from D's glowing pendant allowed me to see the stone wall up ahead and feared that I might be squashed to death. It was then that the glowing on D's pendant intensified that the wall thankfully slid open and I could feel an even colder wind blew right through me.

CHINK!

I heard the click of the metal chains release me as I was being thrown out in the cold night air, screaming and landed facedown on the soft grass. When I twisted around I saw the wall I had came through slide back in it's normal place. I raised my hand clutching D's pendant and with joy kissed it for saving my life. D's handsome face flashed through my mind and I skip around looking like some silly schoolgirl who had seen her crush. I happily secured D's pendant on my backpack and stood up to dust my shaking knees.

I looked up and my eyes went wide with amazement. Underneath the bright light of the full moon, I was standing in front of a magnificent maze garden, probably thousands of acres wide with the walls standing up to ten feet in height.

Only one thought came into my mind.

"There is no way I'm going in there."

I ran to either side of my direction but realized with a sinking feeling that both of the huge gates were locked. I couldn't climb them since it was twenty feet high and the pointed tip could easily impale me.

"Screw this." Seeing no other option I entered the maze.

After almost an hour of walking inside and randomly choosing whether to turn right or left, I was about to give up when I noticed something that really caught my attention.

To my far right, on a section of a grass wall, a large rose was sticking out. It wasn't just any rose but it was glowing in a bright crimson red and seemed to illuminate my face as I drew closer. I must have been hallucinating it but I thought I could hear the sound of a beating heart as I stood close to it.

_Beautiful isn't? _I heard a voice say inside my head.

"Absolutely."

_Would you like to touch it?_

"I... I don't think-"

_It's alright, you can touch it._

"But-"

_Just one touch..._

And gullible as ever, I touched one petal.

"Ouch!"

I withdrew my hand quickly as I felt a sharp pain on my finger. Looking down, I saw a drop of blood fall from my index finger down to the grass.

Suddenly I heard strange sounds around me, like trees moving and vines twisting around. I looked everywhere for the source of that sound, clutching my bleeding finger. My gaze went back to the unusual rose which had suddenly grown five times it's size and was moving... moving towards me. I backed away and noticed that other red glowing roses suddenly appeared in every grass wall surrounding me.

A hissing sound drew my attention back to the rose that wounded me.

Only inches away from my face I saw with horrow that it had thousands of tiny but sharp fangs deep inside it's petals.

I screamed and ran to my left narrowly missing the monstrous flower as it lunged at me with thorny vines trying to wrap around my neck.

I ran like crazy, turning fom one corner to another trying to avoid the freaky flowers and it's vines that were chasing me.

It wasn't long till I reached, what I would guessed to be the center of the maze. Just a few feet from me, stood a white and beautiful gazebo on top of a grassy small hill. I felt a vibration inside my back and reached in it for my cellphone. I recognize this response back at the underground laboratory and knew right then and there that another piece is nearby.

What I was looking for was obviously right in front of me.

Putting my phone right inside my bag, I ran towards the gazebo and stepped inside. I saw a different portrait of the Countess Carmilla, this time she was wearing a white shimmering dress and under her large white oval hat her golden hair swayed. She was strolling in the garden holding one large red rose casually in one hand.

It wasn't hard to find the gleaming gold piece of the Rothrian key just above her portrait. I tried to jump and reach for it but even with an increase in height I failed to reach it. I looked around for anything that I could step at to reach the piece when I spotted something written on the golden plaque underneath the Countess' portrait.

_The Carmilla Rose, bred in honor of the Countess. It blooms only in a cold winter night and feeds on fresh blood._

I looked back at the portrait and realized that the red rose the Countess was holding was the same glowing carnivorous red rose that tried to eat me. That freaking flower is a vampire plant!

I suddenly dropped to the floor as something had wrapped around my ankle yanking me hard against the floor. It immediately pulled me and I grabbed what I could to prevent from being dragged away. Luckily I got hold on a railing and screamed in agony as it pulled tighter on my ankle tearing deeply at my jeans through my skin.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a dark shape descend along the side of the wall from the rooftop. It was on all fours and by the time the light of the moon hit the creature, it stood up and revealed itself to be a man.

An ugly and scary looking one...

His face was brown and wrinkled all over making him look like some old and frighthening beast. All his teeth were sharp and pointed like they could tear through not only flesh but bone as well. His back was slightly hunched up making him look like the crypt keeper. Although his black cloak was ripped on all ends the fabric seemed new. Although he was barefoot with gnarled toenails, he had a gold medallion hanging through his chest with the incription of some coat in arms. I dreaded my hunch that this creature has a vampire master that I would meet soon enough...

"You should have been crushed back moments ago." it said in a slithering voice. "But it seems you had some lucky charm given to you by that half-breed hunter."

I knew he was talking about D's pendant which was tuck safely inside my bag. The pull from the monstrous rose became very strong and I was losing my grip.

"No matter, the Countess' precious roses will see to it that you will be picked cleaned right through your bones. And no magical pendant is going to help you with that." It finished with a sinister laugh.

He held out a transparent orb that look just like a crystal ball. My eyes widden and my pain momentarily forgotten as I saw inside the orb the miniature image of D fighting some sort of dark armoured giant creature.

I screamed in agony as the vines tightened it's grip and could feel my blood dripping on the grass. With my arms aching and my face sweating I looked down and saw with horror a giant red glowing rose emerged from a grassy wall in front of me. I was surrounded by thorny vines crawling towards me preparing to wrap itself around my body.

My mind was in turmoil, I'm not used to fighting for my life but I'd rather be damn than quit and let this monster eat me. In a moment of despair, I felt a certain surge of strenght on my body.

The crypt keeper looking stranger had stopped laughing and frowned as he saw me rip a large portion of the metal railings forming into a stake. After ripping it, I was realeased from my grip and using my new found strenght I plunged it into the monstrous flower's gaping mouth as it tried to pull me into it.

"Eat this!" I screamed quoting an action movie I once saw.

I felt really violent and I even twisted the metal deep inside the flower that after a few seconds, after I yank the spike out, a few chunks of meat flew everywhere, some even splashing on my shirt.

I heard an ear shattering wail before the flower withered away and the rest disappeared into the bushes.

I laid my head on the grass to momentarily catch my breath. I could feel my ankle throbbing and bleeding after the creature's thorny vines had sunk on it almost reaching deep into my bones.

The creepy man just stood there for a moment. I have no idea if he was stupid or just being plain wierd for he just stood there for a moment, not bothering to attack me while I'm still weak. I noted that his gaze on me was grave and serious, as if there was something bothering him.

"It would seem that I have underestimated you." He finally said in a dark chilling tone.

While lying down, I saw again, albeit upside down, the golden piece on top of the Countess' portrait and twisted around to sit right up.

The man noticed what I was looking at and laughed.

"I don't think so."

My jaw almost dropped to what he did next. His form quickly dissolves, turning into some black gasseous ink. It spread around the area and moved towards me so fast I barely managed to evade him. I can barely walk, with the seering pain throbbin on my leg so I hop inside the gazebo but lost my footing again and fell towards the floor.

I looked back and realized with horror that anything this freakshow's black ink touches rots away. The grass and plants once lush and green turned to a withered brown.

With my good leg, I kicked at the frame that held Carmilla's second portrait. It worked for after the potrait rock unsteadily, the golden piece above fell on my open hands and quickly placed it inside my pocket.

I got up just in time to avoid yet another of the creep's attack. Out of the gazebo I tried to escape back inside the maze, opposite from where I had just entered.

But the creature beat me to it. Without giving me a moment's pause he pouced at me but I was ready. In my hands, I held a pink pepperspray and I immediately sprayed it on the jerk's face as he hovered above me.

It screamed and cursed in languages I didn't understand. The blackness went into disarray all over the place, giving me an opening and a chance to get away. Without waiting for the freakshow to recover. I started hoping forward as fast as I could. I made numerous turns from right to left until I couldn't catch my breath anymore. It was then that I reached into smaller space surrounded with numerous windows from the different rooms inside the castle.

I hoped at the center where a marble fountain is found and sat down on it's edge. I took out my bag and placed my new found piece. After securing my backpack, I noticed a cold and familiar sensation on my foot.

I remember this sensation on my eye, back before the plane crash and on my throat at the underground laboratory in Sunfort.

I looked down and saw my wounded ankle glowing in a blue-green light. I could feel something ticklish and cool pricking at my wouded skin. On closer inspection several of the thorns left there by the demonic roses were thrown out of my flesh and in my amazement, my wound healed itself almost back to normal. I briefly touched it and all that was left was a very light scar.

"Yeah!"

I jumped up and was glad that I can run back to normal again. I looked around for a means of escape and realized with a sinking feeling the windows of the castle rooms where too high for me to reach.

I suddenly froze when I felt the ground shook. At first, I mistook it for an earthquake. However, having experienced a sevent point four magnitute earthquake back home when I was in college, I knew whatever this was, it was clearly different. My gaze was drawn on the large balcony to my right. I sprinted towards it and saw a large and amazing courtyard resembling a chestpiece down below with two people I know running hysterically through it.

It was none other than Evan and Gab.

"Hey Guys!" I called out down to them while waving my hand.

Evan heard me first, he halted and turned towards me while pulling on Gab's shirt stopping him from running further. It wasn't long before he saw me up above the balcony and called up to me.

"Where is D?" I asked.

My answer came when I heard a crashing sound above me. I looked up and my eyes were wide with shock as I saw D jump from a large window which was twenty feet high. I ducked as a couple of glass shards smashed on the ground. around me. I cried as D suddenly landed beside me and immediately wrapped his arm around my waist. We jumped just in time to avoid a dark swarm that crashed behing us like a wave.

We landed down below the courtyard where Gab and Evan stood. D dropped me to the ground and walked in front of the three of us with his sword ready standing between us and the monstrosity on the balcony above.

The shards and rumble rose up and returned to where D smashed through like something you would see in a backward motion replayed in a video. It fixed the hole and quickly mended back to normal as if it hadn't been damaged at all.

So much for insurances... No wonder why nobles would let homicidal computers rampage in their castles to kill intruders. Their freaking houses can also regenerate itselves!

"Janie where were you?" Gab asked helping me up.

"I was chased around by vampire red roses inside a shitty maze and also got attack by some crypt keeper looking hooded old man."

Evan abruptly turned to look at me, his face was alarmed.

"Did he have a golden medallion on his neck?"

"Yes!" I answered.

"And he looked like the crypt keeper too!"

Just then, our attention was drawn back to the monstrous black matter descending down to face D. The Artificial computer that largely protects this castle can take numerous forms, especially when attacking intruders. It can take the form of the Countess or something even larger like what I saw in the orb earlier wherein D was fighting a huge twenty five foot armoured steel giant, explaining the rumbling I felt earlier. D had defeated one form and another and was now trying to process what kind of monstrosity it was going to take to kill D. How do we kill such a thing? No matter what D does to take it down after it has taken several forms, it just seemed to bounce back.

No wonder no one dared steal in this castle.

Suddenly, from the dark mass shot several tentacles faster than a speeding bullet. In a swift motion D sliced three tentacles that passed him but one managed to get through and slammed at the three of us sending us flying away.

I managed to hit a tree nearby while Evan and Gab smashed through another marble balcony sending them falling down the Sapphire lake. I could hear their screams and the sound of water splashing as their bodies and a couple of debris fell through it.

Groaning. I tired to get up. The wounds on my extremity were healing but I felt what Evan said about being unable to heal vital points when an agonizing pain spread through my chest as broken ribs squeezed my lungs.

I noticed my bag beisde me was open and out of it spilled D's pendant. While still lying on the ground, I reached for it before throwing it towards D who was still fighting the thing. Even when I didn't call out to him, D's amazing senses and reflexes enabled him to catch his pendant in the air and rolled down the ground avoiding yet another attack from the enemy.

Sharp claws suddenly clutched at my throat causing me to choke. I was raised up, my toes haning a few inches above the ground. It was the crypt keeper back at the maze. His face contorted into a beast-like mask with his shark teeth grinding.

"Now, wretched!" he said while spraying saliva on my face. "I'm going to tear you limb from-"

He was unable to finish his threat as D hurled a wooden needle and in my astonishment, severed my captor's head from his shoulder. Before his headless body dropped to the ground, it suddenly dispersed into hundreds of flying crows and flew above in circles. I dropped to my knees, coughing and gasping for air. I saw the creature D was fighting getting weaker. It's form dwindle in size as it retreated back to the castle while D's pendant glowed brighter.

To my left, D was rushing to me with his sword still in hand. I looked up and saw the flock of crows flying towards me and I screamed as I was attacked by it and flown up in the air. The birds dragged me beyond the balcony and up flying above the Sapphire lake. I held up both my arms as hundreds of birds tried to peck at my face however, I caught sight of D jumping from the balcony, his dark coat spreading.

At that moment, everything was in slow motion as D closed in, he seemed to change in form. His coat spread even further resembling large bat-like wings and his eyes seemed to glow in crimson. He reminded me of some great dark dragon terrifying me even though he was just saving me.

The Sacred Ancestor...Dracula...D

Those were the words that echoed in my head before the hunter burst through the flock of birds sending black feathers droping down the lake, and grabbed me before falling down the deep dark lake. The crows continued to give chase and flew down on us. Before our backs hit the cold water, D held up his left hand and a gust of wind was sucked inside it along with the hundreds of crows. After the last crow was sucked in, D held me tight as we dove through the cold water and before I lost consciousness.

P.S. Other than Dracula, I am also a huge fan of Carmilla. My version of Carmilla is not after the Bloodlust movie, although she is yet to be mentioned in the novels. I kinda imagined her closely to the original Carmilla novel a tall and very beautiful young woman. I gave her blonde hair instead of dark or red and magnetic amethyst eyes. I wanted her to seemed charming and graceful but can also be cruel and lethal. My story will leave traces of her and her relationship to the Sacred Ancesot but I have yet to give her a major part in the story.


End file.
